Ousmane Dembele Joins Top 5 Players Who Celebrated Against Their Former Clubs

PSG winger, Ousmane Dembele, finally broke his goal drought in 2024 with a stunning strike against FC Barcelona in the quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.

Having moved from Barcelona to PSG last summer, he beautifully found the net from an improbable angle, symbolically opening his account for the year.

In a video shared on social media, Dembele elevated his celebration to another level. Unlike many players who opt for a subdued approach out of respect when facing their former clubs, the 26-year-old went in the opposite direction.

He joined his teammates in an exuberant celebration, drawing amused reactions from both Barcelona players and fans.

With Dembele eager to make a statement against their former clubs, Sports Brief recalls five players who ditched the restrained celebration instead to deliver a clear message to their former teams.

Emmanuel Adebayor

In September 2009, a pivotal event unfolded: Arsenal faced Manchester City shortly after selling Adebayor for £25 million.

The striker's reunion with his former team turned contentious, with conflicting narratives emerging. Adebayor claimed Wenger pushed him out, while Wenger accused him of chasing money.

This was evident immediately after he headed in Shaun Wright-Phillips’ cross to give City a 3-1 lead with 10 minutes to go. Adebayor embarked upon a pitch-long sprint straight towards the spewing Arsenal fans before dropping to his knees to drink in their bile, per TalkSPORT.

Carlos Tevez

Tevez's move to Manchester City was celebrated as a major coup, and both he and the club capitalised on the narrative.

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The Argentina striker had already been back to Old Trafford earlier in the 2009-10 season but Michael Owen stole his thunder. When the two sides were paired in the League Cup semi-finals, Tevez scored and made a point by running past Gary Neville, who had supported Manchester United's decision not to retain him.

He further emphasized his worth by scoring again, directing his celebration toward Sir Alex Ferguson and the directors' box. Although Manchester United ultimately prevailed in the second leg and went on to win the league, Tevez believed he had made his point.

David Luiz

During a Champions League last-16 second leg, David Luiz, between Chelsea stints, scored a crucial header for PSG against Chelsea, forcing the match into extra time after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red card.

The defender out-jumped Branislav Ivanovic in the 86th minute to power a header past Thibaut Courtois and take the tie to extra time.

Eden Hazard restored Chelsea's lead, but following Luiz's example, Thiago Silva, now with Chelsea, nodded in a corner, securing PSG's advancement on away goals. Luiz, unaware of his future return to Chelsea, humbly apologised for his crucial goal celebration.

Wayne Rooney

Rooney's t-shirt declared 'Once a Blue, always a Blue' as he scored for Everton in the FA Youth Cup final.

However, his £25.6 million transfer to Manchester United felt like a betrayal to Evertonians. Goodison Park never failed to remind him of this whenever he returned with the Red Devils.

On his third return to Goodison, Rooney made one and scored another in a 2-0 win early in 2005-06. In April 2007, during another visit with Manchester United, they initially trailed 2-0, only to draw level after own-goals from John O'Shea and Phil Neville.

United sensed an opportunity, and Rooney, as expected, sealed the comeback. With 10 minutes left, he outplayed Tony Hibbert and scored past Iain Turner. Rooney then taunted the home fans as he headed to the Bullens Road stand, kissing the United badge amid the chaos.

Paul Ince

In 1995, many United fans were disappointed when the club sold Ince to Inter Milan to make room for the Class of 92.

Their frustration grew when he returned to England, but not to Old Trafford, joining Liverpool instead.

Ince had a history of alienating fans, as seen when he angered West Ham supporters by posing in a United shirt before his move in 1989. Any remaining affection for Ince at Old Trafford was extinguished in April 1999, particularly after Ferguson's harsh criticism.

United were in pursuit of three trophies when they led 2-0 at Anfield. However, Liverpool narrowed the gap and United were down to 10 men. In the dying moments, a loose ball found its way to Ince in the United box.

Dembele breaks silence after scoring first goal

After 16 games and over 1000 minutes, Ousmane Dembele finally found the back of the net for Paris Saint-Germain.

The 26-year-old joined the Ligue 1 outfit in a somewhat controversial move from Barcelona early in the summer.