Jorge Sampaoli issues apology after saying France and PSG star Ousmane Dembele 'plays like an autistic' in bizarre rant

The 64-year-old manager took to social media to issue a public apology for saying Ousmane Dembele "plays like an autistic" while criticising the winger and the French national team overall for their dismal show at the recently concluded Euro 2024.

After Les Bleus were knocked out of the European Championship in the semi-final stage by eventual champions Spain, Sampaoli slammed the team's playing style in the competition while bringing in a derogatory autism reference to describe Paris Saint-Germain star Dembele.

Speaking to So Foot, Sampaoli had said, "The other players are like spectators watching how the action will end. They know that they play like an autistic person: he starts the action and finishes it alone. He does not have the ability to make a teammate shine, he only knows how to make himself shine."

The manager, however, was quick to correct his statement as he wrote on his Instagram story, "It was never my intention to refer to autism. I apologize to everyone. I wanted to talk about individuality. More than ever, you need to be careful with the words used."

The former Barcelona star could be next seen in action for PSG next month as Luis Enrique's side take on Sk Sturm Graz in a pre-season friendly clash.