Soap opera Kylian Mbappé, sequel. After two hectic days against the backdrop of a communication war with PSG and a press release sent to AFP, in an attempt to ease tensions and clarify his position on his future in Paris, the 24-year-old French international striker confides to our Italian colleagues from the Gazzetta dello Sport. The opportunity for him to send his “condolences to (the) family” of Silvio Berlusconi, who disappeared on Monday. “It is a great loss for all of football, he was an emblematic president who built the great Milan that made me dream as a child. I hope that the supporters will pay him a worthy tribute,” said “KM”, who had already expressed his affection for AC Milan in the past.
In a joking tone, on the sidelines of the Fifa-The Best trophy ceremony, he had indeed said this to a supporter asking him if he could, one day, land in the Italian championship: “If I come, it’s only AC Milan». In fact, Kylian Mbappé feels so close to the Rossoneri that he hesitated to salute the fine course of Inter Milan, the unfortunate finalist in C1. “As a Milan fan, it’s hard to speak well of Inter,” he breathes.
SEE ALSO – The best of Mbappé with PSG this season
Bondy’s crack, however, did not escape questions about Paris Saint-Germain, returning to this famous letter to inform the capital club that he will not activate his option for the 2024-25 season. “I didn’t ask to be sold or to go to Real Madrid,” he said, confirming comments made in a tweet published on Tuesday afternoon. And to add: “I have only confirmed that I do not want to activate the additional year provided for in the contract. We never talked about a renewal with PSG, but I’m happy to stay here next season. Except that the Parisian club does not hear it that way and does not plan to leave for next season without extending, at the risk of seeing him leave without transfer compensation in 2024. Either Mbappé returns or Paris -SG will be looking to sell it this summer. Remember that the 24-year-old cannot be sold against his will. He has his hand.
Regarding Real, we remember that the former Monegasque had already wanted to join Madrid in 2021, encountering the refusal of the club. In 2022, the person concerned, on the other hand, chose Paris rather than Casa Blanca. No doubt Florentino Perez’s club would be the first to come forward if PSG’s all-time top scorer (209 goals) was actually on the market. We imagine that the cadors of the Premier League would also embark on the race for his signature. Even AC Milan? The leaders of the Lombard club would be wrong not to try their luck in view of the messages of affection from Kylian Mbappé…
Still, number 7 returned to Paris Saint-Germain’s 2022-23 season. Very dull season. “We knew that there were shortcomings that we would end up paying for sooner or later. You have to learn from the mistakes of each season, not repeat each time, ”he insists. A speech he had already made at the start of the season and again after leaving the track in Munich, in the round of 16 of C1. One thing is certain: Mbappé is still as ambitious as ever, whether in Blue or in Paris. “We are disappointed, but we have a four-year cycle ahead of us, he said of the France team, beaten in the World Cup final. By working well, you can do great things in the European Championship, the Nations League or the 2026 World Cup. At PSG there are other club problems, it’s a whole other thing, ”grinds he.
This interview is also an opportunity for Mbappé to discuss a subject that is dear to him, his association, “Inspired by KM”. “Football for me is passion and work, but what we are doing with the association makes me proud as a man: I don’t just want to collect my salary and stay at home,” he said. he, who also speaks of racism in the stadiums, believing that “complaining is no longer enough” and that players should leave the field in the event of abuse. “In 2023, we no longer need a minority to spoil the pleasure of football. (…) Racism goes beyond football. Even institutions must change: if they are lax, they facilitate. We must change the rules, as captain of France, it will be a subject on which I will fight. We must awaken everyone’s conscience, ”he says.
Last but not least, Kylian Mbappé evokes the Lionel Messi case. “Not happy” during his two years in Paris and never adopted by the Parc des Princes, to the point of being whistled, the sevenfold Ballon d’Or left through the back door. “We are talking about potentially the best player in football history. It’s never good news when someone like Messi leaves. Personally, I don’t quite understand why so many people were so relieved that he was gone. He didn’t get the respect he deserved in France. It’s a shame, but that’s how it is. We will have to do what we can to replace him”, he explains, he who judges that it is “a chance” to have been able to play alongside “Pulga”. For Messi, the future will pass – except cataclysm – by Inter Miami. What about Kylian Mbappe? Question still unanswered…
