Kylian Mbappé, absent from the France team gathering, is sharply criticized by many actors and observers.
For the Blues’ next two matches against Israel and Belgium, Didier Deschamps will have to do without his captain Kylian Mbappépackage for the gathering. When announcing the list, the Blues coach explained that the Real striker had “a problem which is not serious, but which requires care to be able to recover properly”completing: “I’m not here to take risks.”
However, this did not prevent Kylian Mbappé from playing two days later and even for 70 minutes against Villarreal, without showing any particular fatigue or discomfort. “We must not forget that the employer is the club (…). I know very well that he is not going to go against his club. He doesn’t want to go against the selection either, but, after discussions, we have to make sure to prioritize the player’s interests, without putting him in difficulty.” Didier Deschamps tried to justify himself in an interview for FFTV.
Problem, this absence is a stain and controversy, especially since Kylian Mbappé has not really been the same for several months. He is even less and less appreciated by the French public. Philippe Diallo, president of the FFF, tried to defend the choice of coach and player, but in the “Club info” on Franceinfothe president still believes “that there is nothing At-above the French team and the national selections”.
Kylian Mbappé “was elsewhere” during the last gathering
“Didier [Deschamps] had spoken with him directly and with the medical staff of Real Madrid and he decided not to select him, which does not call into question Kylian’s attachment to the France team.he adds. But for the head of the Fed, the reason may lie elsewhere. “The question that is asked is that today, in an insane calendar, with multiple competitions, the top players are on pace of 65 matches per year”says Diallo. “We are reaching a sort of ceiling where it is necessary for the clubs, the national selections, the authorities, to sit down around a table, in particular with the aim of preserving the national selections and finding a balance.”
This very strange period is therefore conducive to tension, because for many, being captain of the France team imposes certain duties. Especially with the retirement of Antoine Griezmann, the vice captain. During the last gathering, people close to the selection explained that “pno one saw a leader“ in the behavior of Kylian Mbappé. “He was elsewhere“indicates another in comments cited by Le Figaro, while the coach assured that he was not “in the best psychological condition. To try to perhaps get other answers, Didier Deschamps will be present at a press conference on Wednesday evening, on the eve of the match against Israel in the League of Nations.