Former Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé has stirred up controversy in France after Didier Deschamps left the 25-year-old out of the squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.
Mbappé is currently recovering from a thigh injury, so it’s understandable why he wasn’t selected. However, that wasn’t the case. Not only was the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner named to the squad to face Villarreal, but he also featured in the starting 11.
As a result, there’s plenty of criticism in France since the winger is the captain, and it’s always his responsibility to be there when fit. One of the many criticisms from the French media was Le Parisien journalist Alexandre Aflalo.
Aflalo notes that following the toxic ending to his PSG tenure, the France national team was his only haven. However, over the past few months, it has headed down the same drama.
“After all the off-field drama at PSG, the French national team was the only place where Kylian Mbappé still had broad support,” Aflalo wrote Saturday on X. “But in just six months, he’s thrown that away—and this time, it’s hard to point the finger at anyone else.”
L’enchaînement des péripéties extra-sportives qu’il a connues avec le PSG avait fait de l’équipe de France le seul endroit où Kylian Mbappé faisait encore un semblant d’unanimité.
En six mois, il a tout gâché. Et là, difficile de blâmer quiconque d’autre. https://t.co/iGcbq73dIO
— Alexandre Aflalo (@aflaalex) October 5, 2024
It will be interesting to see how French manager Didier Deschamps responds to the latest controversy and how the Real Madrid standout spins this entire issue and whether the media buys it.
