The Ballon d'Or has been on all mouths in recent weeks. With the exceptional PSG season with the final victory in Ligue 1 and especially in the Champions League, it is difficult not to dream of a coronation of a Parisian player in a few weeks. The club had decided to highlight Ousmane Dembélé, author of an excellent season, and legitimate to claim the title. Opposite, in Spain, Lamine Yamal seems to be the only competitor as such this season. But at PSG, for several weeks, another candidate has grown: Achraf Hakimi.
The Moroccan right side has produced an extraordinary season being regularly decisive and probably being the key man of the Luis Enrique system. On all fronts, he also posted statistics never seen for a side defender with 11 goals and 18 assists in 58 games with PSG. Scorer in the quarterfinals, in the semi-finals and in the Champions League final, Hakimi has established himself as a serious candidate in the Ballon d'Or. And he said this Saturday in an interview with Canal+. “” If I have the opportunity to win it, I think I deserve it too. After the historical season I made – there are not many players who scored in quarters, half and in the final – while it is more difficult as a defender. People think I am an attacker or no midfielder, but no, I play in a four line and I must think about defending. The statistics I had this year are not those of a normal defender. I think when a defender does that, he deserves more than an attacker “, He said.
PSG was afraid of the fallout
A declaration not harmless since the player publicly places himself as a candidate for the Ballon d'Or while PSG had decided for several weeks to rather highlight Ousmane Dembélé. And this Sunday, the newspaper this Sunday The team We learn that Achraf Hakimi's declaration has sparked internal reactions in Paris. PSG, which had therefore chosen Dembélé as a number one candidate, smoothed his communication a little, anticipating a possibility of seeing the egos take over in this story. According to the French daily, the capital's club, however, tried to have Hakimi's passage on the Ballon d'Or in the Canal+ interview abolished knowing that this could react.
But it was a failure. The player did not wish to comply with the requests of the PSG believing that he was legitimate to claim the Ballon d'Or after his immense season. L'Team Also explains that Hakimi's declarations have aroused many internal debates and in the entourage of the players. Some of Ousmane Dembélé's relatives were surprised by the position of the Moroccan international on the Ballon d'Or. But there is no question of making it a controversy for Ousmane Dembélé, especially since he has an excellent relationship with Hakimi. “” The most important thing for us remains the collective and Ousmane appreciated the support brands of its partners. For the rest, everyone is free from their speech. We are not intended to interpret the positions of each other “Explained the entourage of Dembélé in the newspaper The team. It remains to be seen whether this debate will really impact the locker room. But one thing is certain, the Ballon d'Or is a file that will have to be managed in Paris in the coming weeks.
