‘THE FRANCE TEAM DOESN’T BELONG TO ME.’ – KYLIAN MBAPPÉ

Kylian Mbappé (24) opened up about his absence from media duties in recent months during his first France press conference since mid-June.

“In my last press conference, you asked me 11 questions: nine about PSG, one about the Olympic Games, and one about the match against Gibraltar,” Mbappé said in mid-June. Naturally, Mbappé’s future with Paris Saint-Germain was the focus at the time. It came just days after he informed the club’s executives in a letter of his decision not to exercise his one-year contract extension. That letter effectively launched a summer-long transfer saga, and while Mbappé eventually stayed at PSG, he has been largely absent from the media since.

‘I want to share around the leadership’ – Mbappé

“He needs peace and quiet,” Didier Deschamps said in October, essentially speaking on Mbappé’s behalf to explain his captain’s absence from press conferences. Mbappé, on the other hand, returned after PSG’s 3-0 win over Stade de Reims on Saturday, but he was hesitant to speak about last summer’s transfer saga.

On Friday, Mbappé was still keen to avoid discussing PSG, particularly his future at the club, but he did explain his media silence. “I went to a press conference for the first time in June.” In my first press conference, I stated that I would not be attending all press conferences. I stated that I was not higher up the chain of command than Antoine (Griezmann). “He has done the following press conferences, but we left the door open for others,” Mbappé said in a press conference, which Get French Football News transcribed.

“I want to share around the leadership,” he added. I’m not afraid to come here, but the France national team is not mine.”