Kylian Mbappe was reportedly ‘ripped to shreds’ by France teammate Mike Maignan after their 3-1 defeat to Italy in the Nations League.
Bradley Barcola gave France the lead before Federico Dimarco, Davide Fratttesi and Giacomo Raspadori struck unanswered, leading to widespread criticism, for Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann in particular.
According to The team, Maignan went off on a rant after the game aimed specifically at Mbappe and Griezmann, questioning their attitude, hunger and desire; pointing out that Italy wanted it more and on paper, only two of their XI would get in the France team.
It’s claimed the rant lasted for two minutes, after which the dressing room fell silent, with neither Mbappe nor Griezmann responding.
Maignan refused to discuss what he said with reporters: “What is said in the locker room stays between us.
“We came up against a big team that defended well together. We have to move on. We can’t play every match with clean sheets. I’m having a hard time with it, the group is having a hard time with it.
“We’ll discuss it [on Saturday]. There’s no need to worry. When you lose a match, it’s not the end of the world.
“We all have a role to play on the pitch. We know we have to do better, this French team has to win. We’re not going to make excuses, we’re going to question ourselves and move forward.”
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Mbappe, who wears the captain’s armband for France, said after the game that he doesn’t care what people think amid criticism of his performances.
“I’m at a stage of my life and my career where I no longer realize it,” Mbappe said. “I come, play and try to give my best to help the team. What people think is the least of my worries.”
Those comments riled former France international Bixente Lizarazu, who insisted it’s Mbappe’s responsibility as captain to respond to fan concerns.
Lizarazu wrote in The team: ‘Kylian Mbappé’s press conference surprised and embarrassed me. The words used were inappropriate, not those of a leader and even less those of a captain. You can’t be insensitive to the feelings of the fans of the French national team, to the frustrations they may harbor, to the questions they may have. You have to try to respond to them, give them hope, that is part of the work and the emotional bond you have to have with your audience.
‘For me, being a soccer player also means thinking about preserving mental health. If you are worried about external, parasitic and negative thoughts, they inevitably have an impact on your mind and you lose your strength, your energy, your pleasure. The psychological war that he and PSG fought has had a huge impact, obviously. Mbappé is no longer as explosive or decisive as before. He is still a very good scorer, a very good player of course, but he is no longer scary as before.’
