For the second rally in a row, Kylian Mbappé was not called up to the French team. An absence weakly justified by Didier Deschamps. Isn't the French coach losing control of his group?
The Malaysian Kylian Mbappé is growing more and more in the French team. The captain of the Blues was not called up for the last two group matches in the Nations League. This is the second absence in a row and it is difficult to justify. Last October, Mbappé experienced a physical scare at Real Madrid and his club put pressure on him to avoid selection. A month later, Mbappé's absence is more mysterious. Didier Deschamps himself had difficulty finding his words at a press conference on Thursday. The sign of a certain panic for a formerly unsinkable coach.
Deschamps isolated in the French locker room
It's even worse behind the scenes according to journalist Romain Molina. In a video posted on Youtube, he revealed the extreme tension caused by the management of Kylian Mbappé. “ We already have a group for which the message had difficulty getting across with the coach but which also had difficulty with Kylian Mbappé. Take guys like Maignan, and he's not the only one, who was fed up with certain behaviors, certain privileges, certain privileges. In the group, we said (to Mbappé) “Stop acting like a princess!” There is always something… Now you have to accept it! “. By running away from his responsibilities, it won't help him with the group. There is a lot left unsaid and some people are fed up. Be careful, it's the same in Real “, he indicated.
It goes even further since Deschamps' future would be threatened. The players want the arrival of a new coach according to Molina and why not Zinédine Zidane. “ The problem is that you have a coach at the end of the day with players who are only waiting for the appointment of a new coach. But what about the captain’s armband today? Can Mbappé continue to be captain? Deschamps' idea is to say nothing, to wait a few months for things to get better at Real to calm tensions and bring Mbappé back. Will the group accept it when Deschamps has been disowned many times? “, said Molina to conclude. Often solid in the management of his groups, Didier Deschamps will have to be strong in the face of what appears to be the most serious crisis in the French team since the Knysna strike.
