Didier Deschamps will not shy away from the pleasure of avoiding the traditional press conference on the first day of the Blues rally in Clairefontaine. Three days before the next Nations League match against Israel, the national coach did not consider it useful to appear before the media, preferring to be content with the pre-match press conference scheduled for Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. And for many, this choice would not be unrelated to the Mbappé controversy.
Mbappé preserved
As a reminder, the captain of the France team came out injured from the match between Real Madrid and Alavés, before being announced unavailable for two to three weeks. But seven days later, he came on as a substitute in the Champions League match against Lille… before being excused from the Blues’ gathering for the Nations League. When questioned, Didier Deschamps swore that his leader remained involved, but that he needed to breathe.
“Mbappé? There are no concerns about his commitment, I spoke with him several times during the last gatherings, but through the words he was able to use, the interpretation of each other… There was different interpretations, but during the last gathering, Kylian was not in the best psychological condition for different reasons. Obviously, the fact that he is in Madrid with high expectations plays a role. But I don’t have the slightest doubt about his involvement.»
Clubs singled out
A few days later, the controversy grew as Mbappé started at Villarreal’s reception. An appearance which earned the player a new round of criticism. Then it was Real Madrid’s turn to be accused of laying down the law by preventing several internationals from going to the selection. One thing is certain: in France, seeing the captain of the Blues take his turn in the selection to play with his club, it’s a stain. And yesterday, the president of the FFF, Philippe Diallo, finally came out of silence at the microphone of France Info. If he refused to hit Mbappé directly, the French leader, on the other hand, denounced the pressure from the clubs.
“The national selections cannot have the minimum portion of an increasingly crazy international calendar. (…) There is nothing above the French team and the national selections. Didier had spoken with him (Mbappé) directly and with the Real Madrid medical staff and he decided not to select him, which does not call into question Kylian’s attachment to the France team. (…) The question that is asked is that today, in an insane calendar, with multiple competitions, the ‘top players’ are at a rate of 65 matches per year. (…) There is pressure exerted by the clubs on their players. (…) Is the balance of power in our favor? Our main weakness is that the players who come to the France team have employment contracts with their club. This is what makes selections a more delicate position. We must convince the entire world of football that coming to the selection is an honor. » A speech that doesn’t really find much resonance with this overloaded schedule.
