It floated like an air of déjà vu on Sunday on the lawn of the Stade Jean-Bouin. And not only because Paris FC, four months after having eliminated Paris SG in the round of 16 of the Couoe de France, claimed the scalp of the French champions on the last day of Ligue 1 (1-2).
The scene that occurred shortly before the half-hour mark was not unprecedented either. In slow motion since the start of the match, Ousmane Dembélé preferred to give up and left the pitch to return directly to the locker room. Now less than two weeks before the Champions League final against Arsenal, the release of the Ballon d’Or was cause for concern.
According to the Ligue 1+ broadcaster, the former Barcelona player nevertheless whispered to the staff at the time of his exit that it was only “a little hard” but that it had not “broken”. At the end of the meeting, Luis Enrique also wanted to be reassuring. “ He’s fine. I hope nothing important”he first whispered into the Ligue 1+ microphone.
“I think it’s just tiredness”
“ I think it’s just fatigue. What’s being said today is pure speculation, but I don’t think it’s serious, and there are still two weeks until the final against Arsenal. We’ll see. Tomorrow we will know,” he continued at a press conference.
And the sound was the same in the mouth of Joao Neves.
“I think he’s okay.” I haven’t spoken with him but I don’t think it matters.” said the Portuguese midfielder, visibly convinced that the precautionary principle had prevailed.
