As Kylian Mbappé prepares to return to action with Real Madrid next Sunday, Philippe Diallo, the president of the FFF (French Football Federation), has made a big revelation about Didier Deschamps.
Kylian Mbappé has been making headlines for months. Already in the spotlight at PSG, the French striker hasn’t had a moment of respite since joining Real Madrid. Arriving as a Galáctico, the player, who will turn 26 next month, is being closely scrutinised. Following his withdrawal from the French national team in October, which led to a sexual abuse case still under investigation by the Swedish justice system, KM9 is going through a tough period.
Without a goal in his last four matches under Carlo Ancelotti, the footballer was not called up by Les Bleus a few days ago. While many expected the return of the French national team captain last week to play in the final two international matches of the year, Didier Deschamps surprised everyone. Against all odds, the French coach left the Madrid star out of the squad for this international break. While the decision caused quite a stir, the French manager justified it by pointing to his striker’s poor form.
Deschamps’ quick trip to Madrid
After the international break, highlighted by France’s brilliant victory over Italy to qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals as group leaders, Philippe Diallo, the FFF president, spoke about the Mbappé situation. Appearing on the channel L’Équipe, the successor to Noël Le Graët shared his thoughts on the decision not to call up the French star.
“I didn’t speak to him. I had a conversation with him during the Euros, and then he left. Afterwards, there were many contacts because I know that Didier Deschamps went to Madrid to meet him. There was a lot of communication with him. It seemed natural to me to let the coach speak directly with his player. Then, the coach reported back to me about their discussions, leading to the decision you saw during the last gathering,” said the 61-year-old official.
“Mbappé is going through a tougher period”
While insisting there is no issue between Kylian Mbappé and the French coach, Philippe Diallo acknowledged that the player is not at his best on the pitch.
“Today, Mbappé is going through a tougher period, sportingly speaking. When he is the best player in the world, he is an irreplaceable asset. Did he deliberately miss the October gathering? That’s your information. What I know is that there were discussions between the French staff and Real Madrid’s staff, which led to that outcome.”
This statement provides a clear explanation. The question remains whether it will be enough to silence rumours of a rift between Mbappé and the French national team. Not in the best mental state, as Deschamps revealed last Sunday on TF1, KM9 will need to make a stronger comeback, starting this Sunday against Leganés in La Liga, before the challenging trip to Liverpool.
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