Ballon d'Or: Le Havre breaks the silence for Ousmane Dembélé

Didier Digard, head coach of Le Havre AC, expressed his delight after Ousmane Dembélé was honored earlier this week with the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

For the record, Didier Digard shares a common background with Ousmane Dembélé, who was born in Vernon and is a former Évreux player. "This shines a spotlight on the Eure region, but especially on Évreux. They’re embracing it, and they’re absolutely right to do so—it’s something to be proud of and to enjoy," said the coach regarding the Ballon d'Or. He also noted that his sporting director, Mathieu Bodmer, took the opportunity to attend the private ceremony on Monday night in Paris alongside Dembélé. Bodmer, whose name also graces the EFC27 stadium.

"It makes me happy, firstly because it’s well deserved. And secondly, because Dembélé is a wonderful person. This casts a spotlight on Ligue 1, and that’s a great thing. PSG had an outstanding season, but having a Ballon d'Or winner in France brings tremendous credibility—beyond the fact that he’s from Évreux! I’m thrilled, because he truly deserves it. He’s experienced highs and lows, and this demonstrates real strength of character. He’s a fantastic example for many players," he added.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.