Friendship often reveals a side of players the public rarely sees. Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti, who announced his retirement in September due to recurring injuries, recently gave fans a glimpse into the personality of Ousmane Dembélé during their time together at the Catalan club. In a candid interview with DAZN, Umtiti reflected on his bond with the French striker and recounted both the challenges and joys of playing alongside him.
Dembélé, now thriving at Paris Saint-Germain and the most recent winner of the Ballon d’Or, has become one of the biggest stars in world football. But according to Umtiti, his early years at Barcelona were marked by a carefree attitude that sometimes required the support of teammates to keep him on track. “I was rooting for you, and I’m so happy to see how far you’ve come! But we know there were times when you were late, and you weren’t strict about that,” Umtiti recalled with a smile.
Umtiti admitted that he often had to take on the role of an older brother to Dembélé, especially when it came to ensuring that he didn’t miss training sessions. “[Sometimes] I had to call him in the morning to see if he was awake yet and remembered the morning training session.” The anecdote illustrates both Dembélé’s laid-back personality and the unique dynamic between the two Frenchmen. While Barcelona demanded discipline and intensity, Dembélé occasionally treated his time at the club with a casualness that surprised even his teammates. Umtiti described his friend as someone who seemed unaware of the enormity of his environment.
“Ousmane is a good guy, but he didn’t realize he was at Barcelona. It was as if he was just going to play in a nearby town. That’s Ousmane.” Despite these moments, Umtiti spoke with genuine affection, emphasizing that Dembélé’s nature was never rooted in disrespect but in a childlike enthusiasm that sometimes clashed with professional expectations.The contrast between Dembélé’s early days at Barcelona and his current status as one of the world’s finest players could not be sharper. Having moved to Paris Saint-Germain, he has matured both as a footballer and as a professional. His recent Ballon d’Or victory stands as proof of his transformation into a global icon.
Umtiti, who knows him well, expressed pride in Dembélé’s development: “I was rooting for you, and I’m so happy to see how far you’ve come.” Their friendship goes beyond football, but Umtiti’s words reveal how much admiration he holds for the PSG forward’s growth. From the young man who occasionally needed a wake-up call to attend training, Dembélé has become a player whose performances inspire millions.
This evolution also speaks to Dembélé’s resilience. Injuries, criticism, and the heavy expectations of replacing Neymar at Barcelona all weighed heavily on his shoulders. Yet today, he stands not only as PSG’s attacking leader but also as a symbol of French football’s excellence on the global stage.While Dembélé’s career is reaching new heights, Umtiti’s journey took a different turn. Plagued by injuries that limited his playing time in recent years, the former World Cup-winning defender decided to retire in September 2025.Though his time on the pitch ended earlier than he hoped, Umtiti’s memories of Barcelona remain rich and full of stories, many of which involve Dembélé. Their bond, built on shared experiences in both victory and struggle, remains intact even as their careers have diverged.
For Umtiti, reflecting on these moments is not about criticism but about celebrating the human side of professional footballers—the quirks, imperfections, and friendships that exist behind the headlines.Samuel Umtiti’s reflections on his time with Ousmane Dembélé at Barcelona offer fans a rare glimpse into the personal dynamics within one of the world’s most famous clubs.
His stories of calling Dembélé in the mornings, smiling at his carefree approach, and later watching him rise to become a Ballon d’Or winner highlight both the challenges and joys of professional football life. While Umtiti has stepped away from the game, his memories and friendships endure. And for Dembélé, the journey from a playful youngster at Barcelona to PSG superstar underscores the transformative power of resilience, talent, and time.
