Lionel Messi 'Sometimes Tells Me To Calm Down,' Says Barcelona Star

KEY POINTS

Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele opens up about his working relationship with Lionel Messi
Dembele admits Messi sometimes asks him to not dribble and attack too much
The French winger is honored to be playing alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner

Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele admitted Lionel Messi had to ask him to slow down a bit at times.

Dembele has been one of Messi’s co-stars in recent years and is proving that he is still a reliable player.

Coming off a devastating injury last season, the French winger has managed to bounce his way back to Barcelona’s pecking order under Ronald Koeman.

After four seasons at Camp Nou, Dembele has learned a lot from the Barca captain. Naturally an attacking midfielder, the former Borussia Dortmund star likes to “go forward” and get past opponents with the ball, sometimes prompting Messi to neutralize.

“He [Messi] tells me how to position myself and when to pass because I like to dribble when I have the ball,” Dembele told UEFA.com ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain. “I like to go forward on my own. Sometimes he tells me to calm down, to go out wide, or wait for a teammate and to not always try and dribble past three or four opponents.”

In August 2017, Dembele completed his move to Barcelona for a record-setting fee of €145 million ($175 million), making him the club’s second most expensive signing of all time.

At Barcelona, Dembele was “constantly” told to stay attentive whenever Messi has the ball as the Argentine would surely find the open man.

“When I got here in 2017, I was told, ‘Don't look behind you when Leo [Messi] has the ball at his feet. Go and run into space. Don't worry, the ball will reach you.’ I was constantly told that,” the 23-year-old recalled. “When I start running, he always finds the pass and when he can't, he'll try again. It's like he's got eyes in the back of his head.”

Ousmane Dembele (L) of Barcelona competes for the ball with Axel Witsel of Borussia Dortmund Getty Images | Pablo Morano

Like other Barcelona signings, Dembele is also “honored” to have played alongside a world-class player like Messi.

“Leo is a genius, we all know about him,” he acknowledged. “He's a genius, he's the best player in the history of football. He inspired me when I was young, he inspires me now, and it's honestly an honor for me to play alongside him.”

Dembele faced his national side teammates Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe when Barcelona was visited by Paris Saint-Germain for Leg 1 of the Champions League at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Unfortunately, PSG thumped the Catalans, 4-1.

Mbappe led the Ligue 1 champions with a sensational hat-trick, while Messi scored Barcelona’s only goal at the 27th minute.