Didier Deschamps’ French squad lost 3-1 to Luciano Spalletti’s Italy side in Paris on Friday night.
Ousmane Dembélé, 27, came off the bench to replace Michael Olise just before the hour mark, but his performance drew significant criticism.
Dembélé’s most notable moment came when he mishandled an Antoine Griezmann cross. The Atletico Madrid playmaker, 33, delivered a precise ball to Dembélé, who was positioned behind the Italy defence in the penalty area. However, Dembélé’s attempt went awry as he awkwardly shanked the ball off his shin, causing it to spin behind him.
The botched attempt quickly became a hot topic on social media. Reactions ranged from disbelief to mockery, with one user commenting, “Bro has -1 shots on goal 😭,” while another lamented, “Dembele ruining what would’ve been a perfect Griezmann assist; he’s not a real footballer.” A third user humorously suggested, “Honestly, he should’ve gotten a yellow for that,” a fourth quipped, “No wonder people say he is hard to defend against; no defender could see that coming.”
Dembele ruining what would’ve been a perfect Griezmann assist, he’s not a real footballer ffs https://t.co/0YKrdDYg9U
— Kieran (@Kieran_MCFC_) September 6, 2024
Dembélé, who transferred from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last year in a £43.5million deal, has since scored seven goals and provided 17 assists in 45 games for the Ligue 1 champions. Despite his impressive club record, he has only netted five times for France, none in major tournaments.
Italy’s victory featured a standout assist from Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, who played a crucial role in the visitors’ opening goal. However, the match was marred by an injury to Arsenal’s new signing, Riccardo Calafiori, who limped off the field following a tackle by Dembélé.
