"Plays like an autistic" - Jorge Sampaoli blasts former Barcelona star for performance at EURO 2024

Jorge Sampaoli has blasted former Barcelona star Ousmane Dembele for his performance at Euro 2024. Sampaoli, who most recently coached Flamengo, even called the Frenchman 'autistic'.

Sampaoli claimed Dembele didn't know how to make his teammates shine and opined that Kylian Mbappe held a similar mindset. He said (via Barca Universal on X):

"Dembele plays like an autistic. He doens't have the ability to make a teammate shine, he only knows how to shine himself. Mbappe is a bit like that."

Dembele scored once for France during Euro 2024 in five appearances before Les Bleus crashed out of the semi-finals of the competition. He has so far made 49 appearances for France, scoring five goals and providing four assists.

Dembele previously plied his trade for the Catalan club, scoring 40 goals and providing 43 assists in 185 appearances. He completed a move to Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has since scored six goals and provided 14 assists in 42 appearances for the Parisians.

Ousmane Dembele recently claimed he still loved Barcelona despite being heckled by fans

Ousmane Dembele faced off against his former club Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League 2023-24 quarter-finals. The Parisians went through to the semi-final stages of the tournament.

Dembele, though, was constantly heckled by fans during the two legs and even celebrated passionately after scoring against his former side. Dembele, however, claimed that he still loved his former club, saying (via GOAL):

"I stay focused, I gave it my all. Barca is a great club. I love Barcelona... And I understand the whistles. That's life."

Dembele joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund as one of the most talented young players in world football. While he showcased his immense talent on occasions, the Frenchman spent a major part of his time at the club injured.

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