Ousmane Dembele debate intensifies as Jerome Rothen demands honesty from France coaches

Jerome Rothen has criticised Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique for publicly praising Ousmane Dembele, arguing that the France forward’s recent performances have not matched expectations.

Dembele endured a difficult international break with France, failing to produce his best form either in his usual position or on the right against Belgium. His performances have also been below his usual standard for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the season.

The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner has scored two goals and provided four assists in seven appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in all competitions.

Despite the criticism, Zidane defended Dembele after France’s 1-1 draw with Italy and said he was satisfied with the player’s contribution in the two matches he started.

“I found him good in the two matches he started. I am happy with what he is producing on the pitch,” Zidane said. “Ousmane plays in his usual way, he moves a lot and often leaves his position, and that is what matters to us.

“We often look at the goals, but I see things differently. I do not have much to blame him for.”

Luis Enrique also backed the forward, describing his performances during the international break as “brilliant” at a news conference on Friday.

“For me, he was brilliant as usual,” the Paris Saint-Germain manager said. “He is a different player, and you can pay for a ticket knowing you will enjoy watching him. He is always ready to show his ability, shoot and communicate with his team-mates. He was very good.”

Rothen, speaking on RMC, rejected what he regarded as excessive praise and called for a more frank assessment.

“We are talking about Zidane making statements saying everything was good, even the performances of the full-backs,” he said. “No, not everything was that good. Some things went well and others did not. Do not treat us as if we are stupid. All that is needed is honesty.”

He added: “Do you think a player like Ousmane Dembele needs to hear that his national-team manager is happy with him and that Luis Enrique considers him brilliant? From the warm-up, a player knows whether he is mentally present and involved in the match, and whether he is capable of producing a good performance.”

Rothen said Dembele was facing a difficult period but insisted he still believed in his ability.

“I am not making a final judgement because I believe in him, but this is a difficult period for him,” he said. “Tell us the truth. If Luis Enrique or Zinedine Zidane said he did some positive things, while others did not go as they should and would be corrected at the next gathering, would that be a bad thing?

“Stop sending these messages aimed at protecting players. What are you trying to protect?”

Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit said he understood Luis Enrique’s approach, arguing that publicly supporting a player was part of a manager’s responsibility.

“A manager should never attack his player publicly, because that would give the press more ammunition, unless the player repeatedly performs badly and behaves poorly in the dressing room,” Petit said.

Former France goalkeeper Benoit Costil also defended Luis Enrique, saying the manager understood the circumstances surrounding Dembele, including the debate over the Ballon d’Or, and that managing the player’s personality and mental state was part of his role.