Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konaté (Reuters)
The Real Madrid striker is not enjoying his best moments, despite having achieved what was once his sporting dream. Kylian Mbappé has found the net only eight times in the sixteen matches he has played this season, averaging a goal every two games. These figures are far from the 44 goals he scored in 48 matches during his last season with Paris Saint-Germain.
Still, he continues to have the support of fans and teammates, both in Spain and with Les Bleus. Notably, his national team colleague Ibrahima Konaté, a Liverpool player, spoke about the situation on Canal Football Club. “Mbappé today holds an exceptional place in this world,” emphasized the Frenchman.
While the striker’s quality is recognized by the footballing world, not everything surrounding him is the subject of envy or admiration: “I want his level of football, but I don’t want his life. (…) Frankly, it is very difficult for his name to be everywhere; with the slightest gesture, we are constantly talking about him.” At just 25 years old, Mbappé is one of the most recognized names in the sport today. After lifting the World Cup and nearly replicating this feat four years later, his tumultuous exit from PSG and his eventual move, after seven years of back and forth, to Real Madrid have made him the center of attention.
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His club teammate and one of the candidates for the captain’s armband, Aurélien Tchouaméni, also commented on him: “When he is with us, we know his qualities. He has done it. We know what he has contributed. We must not be ungrateful for what he has done for this team. He has accomplished a lot.
On a personal level, the situation is not improving either. The Frenchman is currently facing legal issues in Sweden following reports linking him, on Tuesday, October 15, to a possible rape and sexual assault case. The alleged incidents are said to have occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 10, during the striker’s visit to the Nordic country. Swedish outlet Expressen broke the news, reporting that he was considered “reasonably suspicious.”
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The Swedish prosecution confirmed on the same day the news broke that it had received a report from the police regarding an alleged sexual assault and that an investigation had been launched. Although by Tuesday night the courts had not confirmed the connection between the footballer and the case, French media RMC Sport indicated that “Mbappé’s camp is now certain that he is the subject of the rape allegation in Sweden.”
Despite being the captain of the French national football team, he has been excluded from the squad since September. National coach Didier Deschamps has not included him in the squad for the upcoming Nations League window. Amidst speculation, the coach confirmed that it was his decision and not related to extraneous issues: “It is my decision, it is better this way. (…) Kylian wanted to come, and extraneous issues do not come into play as long as the presumption of innocence exists. It is a specific choice for this camp, with two matches ahead.”
