“Disappointed” with the “wave of ingratitude”, Didier Drogba compares Kylian Mbappé to Tiger Woods

Didier Drogba knows what he is talking about. Great striker of the 2010s, who played for clubs with high pressure (Marseille, Chelsea, Galatasaray), the former Ivorian striker spoke at the microphone of RFI on the current setbacks of Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid. An interview shared just a few hours before the very difficult evening experienced on Wednesday by the captain of the France team, guilty of another missed penalty on the pitch of Athletic Club de Bilbao in La Liga (1-2).

«First of all, I'm a little disappointed to see this wave of ingratitude towards him. He is still someone who has done a lot for France. He contributed to this second star. Two years ago, he was on the verge of giving France a third star. And today he's a little hectic. This is the law of our sport. “Football is a very thankless sport, we all know that.” Drogba first declared to defend Mbappé.

Drogba optimistic

The former Olympique de Marseille scorer (32 goals in 55 games in 2003-2004) thinks, like Michel Platini and Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, that the French international will learn from this experience and will raise his head soon. “These are cycles. He is going through a difficult period, his adaptation is not the easiest, but I would rather have a difficult adaptation in Madrid than find myself in a situation where everything is easier, he added. I think he will learn a lot from this experience. He will mature, he will be even more mature and that will benefit him and benefit the France team. This delicate period is part of a player's career, it's like injuries, except that these are not physical, but they can help you become another player, even stronger, so it's a transition.”

I know the character a little, and yes, as a human being, he will have doubts, that's normal.

Didier Drogba on Kylian Mbappé

Finally, Drogba compared Mbappé's crisis of confidence to that experienced by golf legend Tiger Woods, who was at the top of his game before a descent into hell, then a mental reconstruction and a return to the international circuit a few years later. “I see it a bit like a Tiger Woods (golfer) who had trouble finding his game for a while and once he found it, he went back to being the Tiger Woods that everyone loves, recalled the best scorer in the history of Ivory Coast (64 goals in 106 caps). Kylian is going through a difficult time, he wanted to be there, he is ready for the challenge. I know the character a little, and yes, as a human being, he will have doubts, that's normal. But he is someone who also has certainties. I’m very optimistic for him.”

In the midst of a nightmare in Bilbao, Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid will have to react on Saturday (9 p.m.) on the Girona pitch during the 16th day of La Liga.

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