an unfinished tribute evening for Mbappé, like his history with PSG

5 mins

How can we say goodbye to the best scorer in its history, who disappointed part of the public sportingly and part of the management on a human level this season? PSG refused to answer this question this Sunday evening, for Kylian Mbappé’s last appearance at the Parc des Princes against Toulouse. A match counting for the 33rd day of Ligue 1, lost 3-1, with no real sporting issue, but rather a memorial one.

“ Child from the Parisian suburbs, you became a PSG legend », displayed the Auteuil corner a quarter of an hour before kick-off. This legendary term has been debated in recent days, to know whether or not it should be used in relation to the Bondynois. In reality, this debate will have been opened above all by the disappointment of the unexpected elimination in the Champions League, during which “KM7” was not there. But the ultras decided this Sunday: after more than 300 matches played, yes, the man is one. Enough to hoist a large tifo in his honor, representing the attacker carrying out his signature celebration, arms crossed, crowned with laurels, between a few smoke bombs.

Enough to partially erase the boos from part of the Park, then still not very full, during the first announcement of the team composition before the match. Whistles quickly forgotten during the opening of the score from the person concerned, after having put down Guillaume Restes and finished in the empty goal, in minute number 7 like his jersey, quite a symbol. And this, even though Toulouse passed three to an indigestible PSG.

No celebrations for Mbappé

If the Bondynois seems to be doing everything wrong in Paris in recent months, or at least that will be the image we will keep, his communication was impeccable in the home stretch. Officialization of his departure before his last appearance at the Park, just to definitively place the ball in the court of Parisian management in terms of the tribute; barbecue shared with some of the CUP ultras the evening of the announcement of his departure, just to finish ensuring the support of the Auteuil turn for the eternal images of his last evening in the capital; and finally accounts settled without clumsy tackles, only omitting to thank Nasser al-Khelaïfi, with whom he has been at odds since he communicated his choice not to extend, in his farewell message posted on Instagram and viewed more 100 million times.

A message prepared in secret, or at least without notifying management. What the club obviously had little taste for, and what it can hide behind in the future in the event of criticism about the lack of depth of the farewells. And there will be reproaches. Or debates, at a minimum, on the place that the club gave to its star this evening. Especially since, in the tradition of Thiago Silva, Edinson Cavani or Marco Verratti, the City of Lights has had its share of failed farewells. This evening, Mbappé will not have been entitled to anything.

The fireworks, the symphony orchestra, the giant screen projected in the middle of the lawn… none of it was intended for him. Only Michel Montana, the club speaker also on departure, chanted the name of the captain of the Blues into the microphone, perhaps even on his personal initiative. Even in the pre-match hosted by the club, the name of Kylian Mbappé was skillfully avoided. “ The evening event is of course the title of champion of France », announced the presenters.

Paris lost, the club won?

And yet, the Frenchman packs his bags on good terms with the rest of the world. Even with his coach, Luis Enrique, who did not tremble when it was necessary to write the Bondynois’ name among the substitutes on the match sheets. Even these two men, who did not understand each other, have immense respect for each other. This shows the depth of the fracture with the PSG oils.

This Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain lost their match, but Kylian Mbappé won his. While he was sometimes perceived as a man to whom the club gave everything, even the keys to the truck over the last two seasons, and to whom it did not return the hoped-for glory. Even rather controversies sometimes, through cleverly orchestrated declarations to put his management under pressure, or Instagram stories posted at the appropriate time to make it known that he does not like his position on the ground. This last evening in the capital transformed him into a legend that an institution recently entered the big leagues failed to honor.

Not sure that these festivities are the only ones in honor of “KM7”. Perhaps the club, or even the player and his entourage, their communication skills no longer needing to be proven, have one more goodbye up their sleeve. But the image that will stay forever was most likely that of tonight.