Paris: French football star Kylian Mbappé revealed to have felt unsupported and like a ‘problem’ by his France teammates after the penalty miss in the Euro Cup 2020 that saw his team ousted. He even disclosed how insulting it was to be called a ‘monkey’ for the miss.
“But from the moment where I felt like that I was starting to become a problem and that people felt I was a problem… I received the message, that my ego was what made us lose, that I wanted to take up too much space, and that without me, therefore, we might have won” said the Paris football star.
France were eliminated by Switzerland in the Round of 16 after Mbappé’s decisive penalty was denied by Swiss custodian Yann Sommer after being held in a 3-3 level.
Talking of the treatment met out to him after the miss, a very disheartened Mbappé said ,
“I have never taken a single euro to play for the French national team and I will always play for my national team for free. Above all, I never wanted to be problem.”
“The most important thing is the French national team and if the French national team is happier without me, [I’ll go].”
“I met with the president (Noel Le Graet) and we talked about it. What I went to complain to him about was that I was insulted and called a ‘monkey’ for missing a penalty. That is not the same thing. I will never complain about a penalty. The penalty, I was the one who missed it.”
Mbappé’s added to it the disappointment he had after the miss and also revealed how some support would have been crucial for him at that very moment.
“I could have [gotten more on-field support], I agree,” Mbappe said. “But I would have never gone to demand it, it is not the same thing. Of course that would have been nice, but I would never go ask for support on something that I messed up.”
“You can’t look at things in too cynical a manner: in the heat of the moment, everyone is disappointed about being eliminated. In the dressing room, later on, the players came to see me.”
“What shocked me, again, was being called a monkey for the penalty. That is what I wanted support around, not because I took my penalty to the left and Sommer stopped it.”
However, the wonder kid insists that the whole incident is behind him and his love for his team is still unparalleled.
“It is over now, it is behind me,” Mbappe said. “I have so much love for the French national team.”
