tense relationship between Kylian Mbappé and part of the locker room

The story of Kylian Mbappé in the French team has taken a strange turn in less than a year. This summer, the Real Madrid striker promised to make an impression during the Euro to make people forget his missed competition in 2021. “The player I am at the World Cup has demonstrated all his qualities, the player at the Euro has everything to prove” he explained. In the end, he missed out completely with the addition of his broken nose in a duel with Kevin Danso which did not help. Then there was this failed truce in September with two disappointing matches on his part.

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And as if that were not enough, his year 2024 ended with this triple controversy. In October, he wanted to skip the French team gathering to rest and recover from a slight injury. He took advantage of these days of rest to go to a nightclub in Sweden in the middle of the Blues match. An evening in Stockholm which left its mark since his name appeared in a complaint for sexual assault that same evening. Enough to disturb the player and push him a little further while he seems unrecognizable with Real Madrid. Finally, this Thursday, Didier Deschamps once again decided to do without him for the November break. A surprising choice that the Blues coach wanted to accept. “It’s my decision. Because I think it's better that way. I'm not going to argue. What I can tell you is that Kylian Mbappé wanted to come. And secondly, it is not the extra-sporting problems which come into account from the moment when the presumption of innocence exists”he explained.

A conflict with the new generation of the Blues

DD therefore estimated that the absence of Kylian Mbappé would be beneficial to the France team. For what reasons? The first concerns the legal case in Sweden which could distract the group. The second could well concern his understanding with the group. This Friday, AS thus explains that Didier Deschamps' decision would also be motivated by the tense relations between Kylian Mbappé and part of the locker room. Last September, a heated discussion took place between Kylian Mbappé and Mike Maignan in the locker room after the match against Italy. The two players had disagreements which also continued during the match against Belgium.

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The Spanish daily explains in today's edition that the experienced Blues played by Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann would have had conflicts with the new young people of the France team. Which could also explain the surprising international retirement of the Atlético de Madrid player. “Honestly, there is no problem with Kylian, he knows it, we often talk among ourselves”explained Mike Maignan a few days ago. But obviously, this story is more complicated since AS adds that the conflict is not over at all between the two men. And Didier Deschamps may have decided to avoid a new story which could harm his group.