Zinédine Zidane's mission to appease Mbappé and Dembélé at the Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or ceremony took place Monday evening, under the spotlights. Harry Kane, who topped the votes ahead of Kylian Mbappé, lifted the coveted trophy. The evening also reignited the already visible tensions between two young stars.
Tensions between Mbappé and Dembélé
The campaign for the Ballon d’Or was long and sometimes harsh, each vote weighing heavily on the shoulders of the contenders. Kylian Mbappé, more eager than ever to win the award, did not hesitate to put himself forward, even if it sometimes made him appear insensitive towards certain competitors and friends. This attitude has fueled frictions with Ousmane Dembélé, to the point that a mediator is now hoped for.
Present in London the day before for his media outlet, journalist Loïc Tanzi filmed a marginal scene of the Ballon d’Or ceremony. In it we see Mbappé ask Dembélé for news about his injury; Dembélé replies that he has about two weeks, maybe a little more. “If you’re mates with someone, even very close mates as they claim to be, you check in as soon as the injury happens. That means that since Ousmane Dembélé’s injury and yesterday (Monday), they haven’t spoken,” the journalist commented. But the remarks hint at a possible resolution.
Mbappé, injured by the second place, avoids Dembélé in London
Zidane eager to intervene
Loïc Tanzi believes that an in‑depth discussion is essential. “So the relationships are still fresh, even very fresh to me. Can they be mended? I think it will require a very good discussion and someone in the middle,” he added, emphasizing the need for an intermediary. In his view, Zinédine Zidane has the aura and the ability, as a manager, to seat them at a table.
“For me, it’s Zinédine Zidane. He’s the key. He has the aura to do it, the ability, because he is a manager, to seat them at a table. … Will he want to do it? I don’t know. But someone needs to bring both of them into a room and get them to talk,” Loïc Tanzi said. It won’t be for the next gathering, Dembélé not having recovered from the injury he sustained last Tuesday against Barça. Tanzi remains not very optimistic: “They can talk again, but Ousmane Dembélé will never forget. He knows that opposite him there will always be someone who will speak ill of him to get something bigger personally. It will be difficult for Dembélé.”