A 2018 World Cup winner has revealed that he regularly watched Sunderland, and that he knows owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
Sunderland have seen their popularity in the general footballing community sky rocket over the past few years.
The Sunderland ‘Til I Die series has helped, and so too has having owner Louis-Dreyfus in place.
The Swiss-French businessman appears to be a well-known name in football and in French football especially, with World Cup winner Ousmane Dembele now revealing that he’s not only a friend of the Sunderland owner, but that he also watches the Black Cats in action.
Ousmane Dembele talks Sunderland and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus
Speaking to French outlet So Foot, the current PSG and former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona man revealed his love for watching football, saying:
“I watch practically all the championships: France, Spain, Italy, England, Germany… even the English D2, especially Sunderland because I know the owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. There, I saw almost all the matches of the AFCON. Some days ago, I’ll start the English league at 1 p.m., and at 9 p.m., I’ll switch to Spain.”
At the age of just 26, Dembele has already played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, racking up 42 caps for France with one World Cup win and then a runner-up medal in 2022.
He also won three La Liga titles with Barcelona and two Copa Del Reys.
Sunderland back on the map
Sunderland have endured some really times of late.
Back-to-back relegations and then a four-year stint in League One was never on the agenda, and at times it looked like the Black Cats would be stuck in the third tier forever.
But now being back in the Championship and challenging for promotion to the Premier League, with an ambitious owner in place and some really exciting young players on the books, those four years in League One just seems like a bad dream.
And Louis-Dreyfus is certainly a huge factor behind the promotion and the subsequent feel-good mood around the club.
Although Sunderland aren’t in the best vein of form right now, it’s clear that the club has a long-term vision and is putting some impressive foundations in place, with the club’s transfer acumen the envy of many.
And it can’t be denied that Sunderland ‘Til I Die has helped to put the club back on the map, with the popular Netflix documentary showing off the club’s passion and determination to the world.
Dembele may not be the only footballing superstar who wants to check in on the Black Cats from time to time, and his admission showcases Sunderland’s rise over the last few years.
Sunderland return to action vs Birmingham City this weekend.