In an interview with Ouest-France, Philippe Diallo supported Didier Deschamps regarding his choice to exclude Kylian Mbappé from the France team for the November rally. The president of the FFF nevertheless indicates that this is not a sanction.
Philippe Diallo stands behind Didier Deschamps' decision. This Thursday, the coach of the France team revealed his list of 23 players for the November gathering, without Kylian Mbappé. Absent in October officially due to injury (which did not prevent him from playing with Real), the captain wanted to come this time according to Deschamps.
The absence of the Real Madrid player may therefore have been surprising. “There is no aspect of sanction,” assured Philippe Diallo, the president of the French Football Federation, to Ouest-France, while supporting the decision taken by Deschamps. “Kylian Mbappé has contributed enormously to the France team. He will do so again. Currently, he is in a more delicate period of his career. It is the fruit of his exchanges with Didier Deschamps which led to this decision. “
“Kylian must benefit from the presumption of innocence”
On the sidelines of the last gathering of the French team, Kylian Mbappé found himself linked to an extra-sporting affair in Sweden, with a rape investigation opened against him according to the Swedish press. Didier Deschamps indicated that this context did not play a role in his decision. “I don’t get into these conjectures either,” commented Diallo. “Like everyone, Kylian must benefit from the presumption of innocence, an element which is sometimes forgotten, but which I do not forget.”
Since this affair, Philippe Diallo has not interacted directly with Kylian Mbappé since “Didier Deschamps speaks to him regularly and has even gone to see him”. “He keeps me informed of their discussions,” added the candidate for his succession at the head of the FFF. “I didn’t feel the need to interfere in these exchanges.”
Philippe Diallo also believes that Kylian Mbappé maintains a “positive reputation, even if he is going through a more delicate period”. “He retains all my confidence. It is in these moments, that as president of the Federation, I must support him,” concluded the boss of the FFF, who maintains that the player is still legitimate to be the captain of the Blues.
