Kylian Mbappé appeared at the press conference before France’s international match against Luxembourg. Naturally, most of the questions were about his move to Real Madrid. The attacker gave an insight into his inner life
When perhaps the best footballer moves to the best soccer club of the moment, no one is left in the dark. Kylian Mbappé’s first words on Tuesday were no exception. “Before I start the press conference, I just want to say a few words. Everyone has heard the news: it’s official, I’ll be playing for Real Madrid for at least the next five seasons. It’s a great joy, a dream come true,” said the 25-year-old.
A dream that took longer to come true than many had expected. There has hardly been a transfer window in recent years in which his move from PSG to the Whites has not been announced as as good as perfect. But Mbappé proved everyone wrong and stayed in Paris for a total of seven years. Until the transfer was finalized after all.
Which also lifted a weight off his shoulders. He was “happy, relieved and proud” about the transfer, which he immediately repeated. “It’s a huge relief, I’m very happy and I think you can see that in my face. I played a lot less at the end of the season and everyone knows why. “
Mbappé had already announced at the time that he would not be renewing his contract, and the disappointed club bosses around president Nasser Al-Khelaifi gave him the brush-off. The superstar, suddenly a benchwarmer, just there instead of in the middle. “They made it clear to me, they said it to my face,” Mbappé recalled the “harsh words”. But he also had advocates, first and foremost the coach and sporting director. “Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. Without them, I wouldn’t have been back on the pitch,” said the attacker.
Water under the bridge for Mbappé, who now wants to turn over a new leaf. “That’s the way it is. When you’re a top player, you have to adapt.” He is not worried about his lack of match practice. “At this European Championships, that’s no excuse for me. I’m trying to get back in shape as best I can and I want to help the French national team and try to bring the trophy home. “
Mbappé doesn’t want to be a “bastard “
Mbappé made no secret of the fact that he is leaving Paris with ambivalent feelings after the past few weeks. There had been things that made him unhappy, but he hadn’t been able to show them “because I was a leader and you don’t follow someone who is depressed”.
But Mbappé knows just as well that this is complaining at a high level. “I’d be a bit of a bastard if I said I was unhappy at PSG,” after all, he says, he gets “a lot of money” for playing soccer. “There are people who get paid a lot less for working in factories. It’s completely inappropriate for me, Kylian Mbappé, to complain to the world when terrible things happen in the world. That’s how I was brought up. “
