The 25-year-old forward freely admits that he has a point to prove at this summer’s tournament in Germany
Kylian Mbappe appeared to have everything he wanted at Paris Saint-Germain. He was the “cornerstone” of the club’s entire project and lauded by the fans as a hometown hero.
And yet Mbappe says that “certain things and people” at Parc des Princes made him miserable. “It was not an easy situation,” he told CNN, “I wouldn’t wish living like that on anybody.”
So, he left, and on a free transfer, to realise a childhood dream by joining Real Madrid. The superstar that bizarrely felt imprisoned by PSG has been “liberated” by Los Blancos – and just in time for Euro 2024, which is obviously excellent news for France.
‘Really want this’
“I won the World Cup,” he told CNN. “I won the Nations League. [The Euros] is the only major tournament I’m missing with the national team. It’s also my first competition as captain, so it’s really important for me. I really want this. [It’s] another opportunity to write the history of my country.”
However, for Mbappe, it’s also a chance to put a painful period in his past firmly behind him. Moving to Madrid and winning the Euros in the same summer isn’t just about happiness for Mbappe; it’s also about vengeance.
‘Everything to prove’
“I’m in a vindictive frame of mind,” he admitted, “As a player, I still have everything to prove at the Euros.”
He’s right, too. While Mbappe is already well on his way to breaking every imaginable goal-scoring record at the World Cup, his first appearance at a European Championship was a nightmare.
Indeed, it went so badly that a disillusioned Mbappe was even willing to quit the national team.
Heartbreak in Bucharest
As reigning world champions, France had gone into Euro 2020 as the overwhelming favourites, and Mbappe was expected to be the star of the show. However, he didn’t score once in four finals appearances. Worse still, he missed the decisive spot-kick in the last-16 shootout loss to Switzerland in Bucharest.
A barrage of abuse followed – some of it racially motivated. However, the vast majority of the criticism was related to Mbappe’s alleged arrogance.
‘Never wanted to be a problem’
The feeling was that the young man who had emulated Pele while scoring in a World Cup final while still a teenager had grown too big for his boots; that his presence in the national team had become more of a hindrance than a help.
“The message I was receiving was that my ego was what made us lose,” he claimed, “that I wanted to take up too much space, and that without me, we might have won. I never wanted to be a problem and the most important thing is the French national team, so if the French national team is happier without me, I’ll go.”
‘Great guy’
French Football (FFF) president Noel Le Graet had no intention of allowing Mbappe to walk away, though. He accepted that more could have been done to protect the forward from the abuse he received after the Euros exit and convinced Mbappe to carry on.
“You know how it is,” Le Graet told Le Journal du Dimanche. “He’s a winner, he was very frustrated, like all of us, by the elimination. But he’s a great guy, much more of a team player than people think.”
The thing is, though, Mbappe’s petulant behaviour at PSG over the past few years has only strengthened the suspicion that the 25-year-old still has a lot of growing up to do, which is why the Euros is so important to how he is perceived by the public.
‘Happy man more likely to play well’
Didier Deschamps’ decision to pick Mbappe ahead of Antoine Griezmann to lead Les Bleus after the retirement of Hugo Lloris was the source of much debate in France, but the coach insists that the forward is “a fantastic leader”. We’ll find out in Germany if that’s really true, though.
France qualified for the Euros in impressive fashion, beating Netherlands home and away in their group, with Mbappe shining in both wins. However, their preparations have been less than ideal. They have performed pretty poorly in their pre-tournament friendlies, losing at home to Germany in March and being held to a 0-0 draw by Canada in their final warm-up game.
Having already lost Lucas Hernandez to injury, there are also doubts over the fitness of key midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchoumani, as well as Mbappe. The man himself insists that a minor back problem and a recent knock to the knee are nothing to worry about.
He also insists that while his performances over the past season at club level were “below my standards”, things are different now that he really does have everything he ever wanted. He’s got the dream move to Madrid and the captain’s armband for France.
There can be no excuses, then. Mbappe has got his way. He’s exactly where he wants to be. PSG have already been consigned to the past and he’s now looking forward to an exciting future in Spain. Consequently, he’s perfectly placed to right a few wrongs at the Euros, and dismiss any doubts over his status as the best player on the planet.
Just last week, he warned, “A happy man is more likely to play well.” And a vindictive man with a point to prove could be even more deadly.
Goal.com
