It was May 21, 2016. In a Stade de France with sparse stands and just a few hours before seeing the Parisian lair ignite for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s last double in the Ile-de-France jersey (4-2 victory for PSG against OM in the Coupe de France final), a young man of 17 left his mark on the Coupe Gambardella final. Author of a double against RC Lens, Kylian Mbappé offered the title to the Monegasques. A curtain raiser that looks like a historic first evening for the one who could already boast of 11 games in Ligue 1 (1 goal). Unstoppable, technical and heralded as the next central figure in French football, the Bondynois began his ascent with a memorable stint in the mixed zone.
The times have changed…
At the microphone of France Télévisions, the tricolor international with 70 selections (40 goals) then retained his second degree despite the terrible blunder of journalist Daniel Lauclair, visibly much less informed than some observers on the profile of the phenomenon questioned. Presenting the future 2018 world champion as Taylor Moore, English defender of the Sang et Or, the public service reporter, taken over by his colleagues, buried himself definitively by reminding the young Monaco prodigy that it was time to show the potential of the training in Lens… As embarrassing as it is amusing, this anecdote will forever remain etched in the trajectory of the Parisian. Asked later about this confusion, the author of this incredible interview preferred to have fun and then praised the reaction of the French striker.
“We have since laughed with Kylian. And his mother had fallen into my arms a little later, saying to me: ‘what happiness, I would not want Kylian to take the big head’ “. A time gone by as the situation seems to have changed since then. At the center of all discussions, the new star of world football has gradually decked out a precise communication, leaving aside his carefree costume. So inevitably, he is not the only one responsible for this change of tone. Victim of his success, contender for the Ballon d’Or and already world champion at 24, Kylian Mbappé finds himself logically, or not, caught in a constant media whirlwind. From New York to Douala via the City of Light, the top scorer in the history of PSG crystallizes the attention of the four corners of the globe.
Communication discussed, external pressures, degraded image!
Each of his steps, his words, his gestures or even his posts are thus presented to the tribunal of good conscience. Was he right to express himself thus? Does he have the right to expect that? Can he aspire to such a project? So many questions asked and leading to a multitude of analyzes and/or interpretations. It is also and surely in this dynamic that these few lines are inscribed… A storm and its excesses do not, however, prohibit asking questions about the weight of the entourage and the communication choices made by the number 7 of the reigning French champions. From Pivotgang to “eat well, sleep well” passing through the “I am not Kylian Saint-Germain”KM7 thus multiplies the pungent declarations.
Latest? That of a prodigy at the crossroads, coveted by Real Madrid and frustrated by the Parisian context which would not help him to highlight his performances. Under contract with PSG until June 2024, Kylian Mbappé – who refused to extend his Parisian adventure beyond – indeed finds himself at the heart of a (new) boiling soap opera. Faced with the ultimatum of its president, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the captain of the Blues, renowned for his commitment on all subjects, does not seem ready to let go of ballast in this sulphurous file. And if PSG – determined to extend it (or sell it this summer) – finds itself under pressure, no suitor seems foolish enough to commit to an XXL transfer (a total operation estimated at 400 million euros ) during this summer transfer window. A saga which could finally damage, a little more, the image of the Bondynois, which is more in view of the many statements made on this subject.
Carried by the weight of his entourage, as evidenced by the influence of Fayza Lamari, mother and adviser to the player, who finds himself on all fronts, Kylian Mbappé is then, gradually, no longer this young talent who seems as humble as he is hungry. of goals. “People don’t really like it when people say that, but a career is selfish, it’s yours, it’s what you leave behind. Basically, I’m always dissatisfied, so I’m never impressed with what I do. It’s already a first key to understanding myself, because everything I do, I tell myself that I can do it again and better”he declared, in this sense, in his long interview with the magazine France Soccer. What reinforce, a little more, the fracture currently observable in the French capital. What, also, to tarnish his image on the side of Madrid where the Merengues do not forget the painful episode of last summer (Mbappé had finally extended his contract with PSG)…
Zlatan Ibrahimović announced it…
Dividing, the character has certainly always seemed sure of himself like a Cristiano Ronaldo but it is clear that his image is deteriorating, over time, in public opinion. On the roof of the world after his resounding hat-trick in the final of the World Cup in Qatar, Mbappé may also regret the last popularity survey carried out on him. According to an Odoxa survey for RTL And Winamax, based on a sample of 1,005 people, 63% of French people have a good opinion of the Parisian striker, but few find him humble and sympathetic, particularly because of his positions. In addition, if 70% of his compatriots still consider him sympathetic, Mbappé has lost 10 points in 4 years on this evaluation criterion and only 45% consider him humble, far from 66% in 2019. A new index of the general feeling currently felt when the case of the Parisian is mentioned. Figures and words also confirming the predictions made by a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic from November 2022 at the microphone of Canal +.
“He made the right choice for PSG, not for himself”assured, in this sense, the Swede about the extension of the Parisian star before arguing: “He put himself in a situation where he is more important than the club. And the club gave him the keys for that. But you’re never bigger than a club. When a child becomes strong, he can easily earn money. So his parents become lawyers, agents, trainers… That’s the problem, that’s where you lose your self-discipline and who you are. Today with this new generation, parents, dad, mom, whoever you want, they think they have become stars. They speak in the newspapers. But who do you think you are? Shut up and stay where you are. It’s up to your son to work and be disciplined. Mbappé I don’t really know him as a person. As a player he is fantastic but when you lose discipline you lose your identity.. An inevitably damaging observation as Kylian Mbappé’s contribution to French and European lawns remains indisputable, breathtaking but almost forgotten…
