'He avoided McDonald's and pizza' - Ousmane Dembele's Ballon d'Or win a surprise as ex-Borussia Dortmund coach discusses struggles with 'disorganised' star despite his 'unparalleled' ability

Dembele has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a historic quadruple, securing the award by a convincing margin of over 300 points ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. However, despite a stellar campaign that included 35 goals, 14 assists, and a first-ever Champions League title for PSG, the victory came as a surprise to his former Borussia Dortmund coach, Bosz. In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Bosz praised the attacker's immense talent but detailed the off-field issues, including chronic disorganisation and poor diet, that once threatened a career that has now reached the pinnacle of world football.

Bosz, who managed Dembele briefly in 2017, expressed his shock at the 28-year-old's crowning moment. "I honestly didn't expect it, but he's one of the best players I've ever worked with," Bosz said. "What he could do with the ball was truly sensational. I honestly didn't know if he was left- or right-footed. His dribbling was unparalleled.

"Privately, he was very disorganised. He was often late," Bosz explained. "Then he went to Barcelona, and there, too, he was constantly late. So it wasn't Dortmund's fault, but his."

Dembele's six-year tenure at Barcelona was a turbulent period of unfulfilled potential following his monumental transfer. His time was severely hampered by a relentless series of injuries, preventing any consistent run of form. While he registered a respectable 40 goals and 41 assists in 185 appearances, these flashes of brilliance were often overshadowed by lengthy spells on the sidelines and disciplinary issues. His struggles with fitness and consistency meant he never fully justified his massive price tag before a transformative move to PSG.

The former coach shed light on the extent of Dembele's lifestyle problems, which continued after his move to Spain. Bosz stated that the player's teammates had to intervene to provide structure. 

"He was a very quiet, gentle boy who lacked the structure a top footballer needs," he said. "I understood that his teammates helped him there because he was still arriving late. With an alarm clock and a chef accompanying him so he would avoid McDonald's and pizza and eat well."

Bosz credits Dembele's transformation to his time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he believes the player finally matured. He highlighted the forward's improved work rate, particularly after being deployed as a central striker. "It wasn't until he reached his full potential at Paris Saint-Germain," Bosz noted. "If you look at the final against Inter, the way he applied pressure... If you had asked me in Dortmund if I thought he would ever apply that kind of pressure, I would have said no. But he did."

Having overcome the indiscipline that plagued his early career, the challenge for the Frenchman is now to maintain the elite standards that have taken him to the pinnacle of world football and build on his status as the world's best player. Dembele will now be seen in action against Yamal's Barca in the Champions League this week.

Additional reporting by Jochen Tittmar.