Annoyed by the attitude of some of his teammates, including Kylian Mbappé, against Italy (1-3), the French team goalkeeper confirmed his status as leader. An important moment in the new cycle of the selection.
The walls of the Parc des Princes locker room are still shaking. Friday evening, after the slap received against Italy (1-3), Mike Maignan castigated the attitude of his teammates, indirectly targeting (but not only) Kylian Mbappé, who missed out on all levels with a production unworthy of his status as captain of the French team. When he spoke, everyone looked at his shoes and no one dared to bounce “, says a member of the group.
With his stature, his voice and his natural charisma, the French goalkeeper got his message across, unhappy to have seen a team not have the demands and the state of mind that an international match requires. Conceding three goals against average Italians, as many as during the entire Euro, considerably annoyed Hugo Lloris’ successor.
« We all have a role to play, we know we have to do better because the French team has to win. We’re not going to look for excuses, we’re going to question ourselves.”
Mike Maignan
“It’s clear that I’m having a hard time with it, the group is having a hard time with it because we’re competitors, we want to win, explained Maignan to the media on Friday evening, the only one to appear in the mixed zone with Manu Koné. Afterwards, unfortunately, we didn’t do it and we have a match on Monday. (against Belgium)we have to pull ourselves together. We talked in the locker room but it’s between us. We’re going to analyse the match calmly and we’ll discuss it tomorrow. There’s no need to worry, it’s the competition, that’s how it is, when you lose a match, it’s not the end of the world. We all have a role to play, we know we have to do better because the French team has to win. We’re not going to look for excuses, we’re going to question ourselves.
Federico Pestellini / PANORAMIC
Who in the blue locker room is capable of putting Kylian Mbappé back in his place? Mike Maignan
During his speech, the goalkeeper of the Blues and AC Milan insisted on the star behavior of his teammates. A France group that only has four players with more than 50 caps (Griezmann, Mbappé, Kanté, Dembélé) and only five world champions (Areola, Kanté, Griezmann, Dembélé, Mbappé). Suffice to say that a good number of elements do not have the calling card to take themselves for what they are not.There were speechestestifies Dayot Upamecano. There are many leaders in the team. Whatever happened in the locker room, stays in the locker room..»
With the exit of Mike Maignan (29 years old, 23 caps), coupled with the difficulties of Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann who have been moving forward like shadows since the Euro, the status of the former Lille player is reinforced. When he speaks, everyone listens. “, admitted Aurélien Tchouaméni during the Euro about his goalkeeper. In a French team that is starting a new cycle in view of the 2026 World Cup, with the more or less recent retirements of Lloris, Varane and Giroud, the profile of the former PSG Titi stands out to fill the role of leader even more. He has the charisma, the talent and the shoulders.
Faced with Kylian Mbappé’s status, he doesn’t mince his words, like on Friday night. Who else in the French locker room would be capable of that? Nobody.Status or no status, Mike says things and doesn’t care about the business card of the person in front of him if he thinks it’s good for the group.“, says a close friend. The definition of a leader.
