Kylian Mbappé is in trouble. On and off the field. Landing this summer at Real Madrid, the Bondynois saw his dream turn into a nightmare. If he kept up appearances for a while, the former Parisian is struggling to find his place on the front of Madrid’s attack, with Carlo Ancelotti confining him to a center forward role which he still finds difficult to play. accommodate.
And the French team was not the buoy to which he could have clung. After skipping the October rally to concentrate on Real Madrid, the French world champion was not selected for the two matches in November, Didier Deschamps justifying this decision with a simple “It’s better that way. »
Return in March hoped for
For many, the relationship between the French coach and his captain is inevitably damaged by this sequence and some do not hesitate to question his status as captain. Invited on the set of L’Equipe du Soir on Wednesday, Philippe Diallo nevertheless wanted to be reassuring. “I spoke with him during the Euros, then he left. Then there were many contacts. I know that Didier (Deschamps) went to meet him in Madrid, there were a lot of discussions with him, he explained. It seemed natural to me to let the coach speak with the player. Who gave me an account of the discussions he had until the decision he took for the last gathering. »
“I am the president of the Federation, I am not the coach. He explained his choice at the time of the list,
he continued, assuring that“There is no problem.”
Relaunched, he did not want to dwell on the aftermath of his escapade in Stockholm, which ended with a rape complaint. “You perhaps have more information than me on the consequences because there is a form of presumption of innocence, I will not go further on this ground”, he confided.
Philippe Diallo has indeed easily recognized the difficulties encountered by the French striker since the start of the season. “Today, he is in a delicate period sportingly”, he whispered, hoping for his return to form in March:
“When he is the best player in the world, he is an irreplaceable asset for the France team. My only wish is that he becomes what he is again and that he joins us in March at the next gathering to bring us everything he has already brought to the France team. »
