Alious Sunderland Drop Cryptic “See You Soon” Message to Ballon d’Or Winner Ousmane Dembélé Amid Louis-Dreyfus Connection
Sunderland AFC have stirred intrigue after sending a congratulatory — and teasing — message to Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembélé, fresh from his historic Ballon d’Or triumph.
The French winger, who edged out competition from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Barcelona duo Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, described the moment as “exceptional,” particularly as the legendary Ronaldinho presented him with the award. Dembélé praised PSG, club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, manager Luis Enrique, and his teammates, calling the achievement a collective victory rather than an individual one.
Shortly after the announcement, Sunderland’s official Instagram account posted images of Dembélé with his trophy alongside club owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, accompanied by the cryptic message: “See you soon.”
Why Sunderland and Dembélé?
While a Ballon d’Or winner and a Championship club might seem worlds apart, the connection runs through Louis-Dreyfus himself. The pair are both 28 and long-time friends, regularly spotted together on holidays. In fact, Dembélé has been a visible supporter of Sunderland, once attending a Stadium of Light clash against Sheffield United in 2023.
He has also admitted to following the Black Cats closely, even revealing that he managed Sunderland in a Football Manager save. In an interview with *Le Parisien*, he confessed:
> “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.”
With Sunderland cheekily dropping hints and Dembélé’s admiration for the club well-documented, speculation is now bubbling: is this friendship simply personal, or could it one day turn professional on Wearside?
Alious
