On the rise at Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé is also the target of much criticism on social networks. As on the pitch, the French striker is expected to deliver on the internet.
4 min
Currently, it is not good to be called Kylian Mbappé on social networks. Winner of the World Cup in 2018 and seven times champion of France with PSG, the brand new madrilenian is certainly one of the best strikers in the world. However, critics are sometimes less enthusiastic about him than they are about players like Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, or Vinicius Jr. The fault lies with a character who often takes precedence over the footballer, and for whom simply being “good” is not always enough.
Martin Leprince, author of the investigative book Kylian Mbappé – Born to Win (Mareuil Editions), has noticed the change in the public’s perception of the player. In 2018, after the World Cup victory, Kylian Mbappé had a perfect image. Young, talented, intelligent during interviews… But since then, the nation’s darling has created a distance with football fans and part of the general public, his communication is more stereotypical. “.
Consequence? On social networks, the ex-PSG player is an ideal target. Among the flood of criticism that Mbappé receives on X, one account stands out: ” Has Mbappé scored a free-kick? »to be translated as ” Did Mbappé score a free kick? “. A simple question, to which the account answers every day in the negative, accompanied by a different joke each time. Because yes, the striker has, for the moment, never scored a goal from a direct free kick in his career. And it’s not for lack of trying.
Baptiste*, in his twenties, has been a PSG fan since he was little. He is one of the people who manage this account with more than 90,000 subscribers. He wants to remain anonymous because ” It’s part of the spirit of the account. People make theories, say it’s Ethan Mbappé [le frère de Kylian, NDLR], or Neymar [avec qui le joueur serait en mauvais termes selon les rumeurs, NDLR] behind this account. »
” Has Mbappé scored a free-kick? ” has beencreated in August 2023, the player having at that time refused to extend at PSG after a standoff with his management, already looming, a departure without transfer compensation to Real Madrid. Because beyond the level of play of the captain of the French team, it is this kind of attitude which annoys the supporters, in the same way as several of his past statements. The image that the character gives of himself is terrible.laments the Twitter user. He does everything to make us hate him “, referring for example to the fact that Kylian Mbappé called his teammate Neymar a ” hobo ” in 2021, or that the Frenchman indirectly criticized the choices of his coach Christophe Galtier on Instagram in 2022.
Reviews are increasingly viral
” I think a majority of people don’t like it. Our statistics show that well. “. Many of the account’s posts have in fact had several hundred thousand views, or even millions. A success that has reached the ears of the Bondy native, according to Baptiste, who claims that PSG players have already liked some of his tweets. “ He and his close friends are very careful about what is said about him. “, informs Martin Leprince. For example, we saw Kylian Mbappé in images ofThe Beach bara famous Spanish show, read what the French press wrote about his match against Las Palmas.
“ Social media is very important to him, continues the investigative journalist. After his missed penalty at the Euro against Switzerland in 2021 and France’s elimination in the round of 16, Mbappé received a torrent of criticism. Some say he asked himself the question of not playing for the French team after that. »
Don’t fall into harassment
And when the Frenchman does his debut at Real Madrid, It is an army of detractors who scrutinize him, and who celebrate each loss of the ball as a victory in the World Cup final. The X account Troll Football recently decided to make fun of his performances at Real Madrid by editing his goals, insisting that the ex-Monegasque scored a lot of… penalties.
Despite an atmosphere of jokes and laughter on Baptiste’s X account, the latter does not want it to go any further. The purpose of the account is satirical. We tease Mbappé as a character and player, not as a human, the goal was never to harass him. »
The criticism, which numbers in the thousands, should not, however, erase the immense popularity of the player, “sespecially among young people “, supports Martin Leprince. A popularity that is reflected in the finances of Real Madrid. According to the daily AS, Kylian Mbappé sold 7,000 jerseys per day during the month of August. More than double that of Cristiano Ronaldo (3,300) when he arrived in 2009.
* The first name has been changed
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