A few days ago, Kylian Mbappé made it clear in an interview with the French newspaper “France Football” that he believes he should win the next Ballon d’Or. And not only by leaving Lamine Yamal behind, but also his teammate on the French national team, Ousmane Dembélé.
In fact, he didn’t stop there; he went even further, stating: “Dembélé? He’s always been considered a talented soccer player. I, on the other hand, was always considered the chosen one.” These remarks, as expected, deeply annoyed the Paris Saint-Germain star and award winner.
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Former soccer player Jérôme Rothen, who now works as a commentator for “RMC Sport,” revealed that Dembélé “took it very hard—that’s for sure. He’s very upset with Kylian Mbappé. For him, it’s a form of betrayal. Those are strong words, but that’s exactly how he sees it…,” he said.
He added: “And it’s not just him. It’s everyone around Ousmane—the people who are with him in the Paris Saint-Germain locker room. His teammates on the French national team are also involved in this.
I’m told that many French soccer players, once again, don’t understand all of his statements. They’re more on Dembélé’s side than on Mbappé’s. And yet, they’re on the same team, but it seems there are now two camps.”
“The feeling we had at the World Cup is even stronger today. Many players had a problem with Kylian Mbappé’s behavior and statements—that’s the reality. He has alienated quite a few people within the French national team.
The World Cup unfolded as it did, and it’s true that when you finish the tournament as the top scorer while also exhibiting exemplary behavior, as was the case with Kylian at the World Cup, that mitigates to some extent all the criticism within the team. But statements like these will hurt him,” Roten concluded.
*photo source: AP
