Kylian Mbappe is one of the biggest soccer stars in the world and is set to finally leave Paris Saint Germain. He is reported to have made a move to Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window, though it has yet to be made official. PSG made their best efforts in order to convince the star to stay in the city, but to no avail.
However, the Frenchman has seen his fair share of controversies, as he is often seen as trying to be bigger than the club. And it seems something like this happened just yesterday.
Kylian Mbappe watches PSG match with mother after substitution
PSG faced Monaco yesterday in their stadium as a 0-0 draw played out. However, the match got more coverage due to the fact that star player Kylian Mbappe was substituted at half time. This is despite the team needing goals, and Randal Kolo Muani replaced his French teammate. It was a surprising decision by the coach Luis Enrique, who previously did it in the match against Rennes in the 65th minute.
However, Mbappe decided to do something more surprising. The player changed into a tracksuit, but instead of joining his teammates on the bench, he went straight to the stands, where he sat with his mother, Fayza Lamari, who is also his agent.
🇫🇷🔄 Kylian Mbappé was taken off for PSG in 46th minute…
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) March 1, 2024
For the 2nd half, he went to the stands to sit with his family , whilst also greeting AS Monaco fans. ❤️🏟️ pic.twitter.com/jTfNyGJ6Cc
The pair then watched the rest of the match together. He was seen speaking on the phone in the tunnel and was smiling the whole time. He even later interacted with the Monaco fans, as it was the player’s first club before moving to Paris.
Many fans and pundits have described this as disrespectful, as it is not normal for a player to leave the pitchside bench during a game. Even more so to sit in the stands like a normal fan. However, many have pointed out that Mbappe was also disrespected as he was needlessly substituted.
Luis Enrique talks on Kylian Mbappe substitution
Many have pointed out that Kylian Mbappe should not have been substituted in an important game like this. He was not injured and there was no need to substitute a player like him at half time. Fans think that the reason was probably due to the fact that the Frenchman will leave the club this summer.
Manager Luis Enrique somewhat confirmed that it was the reason. He explained that he was preparing the team for life without a Kylian Mbappe on the squad. He said, “Sooner or later he won’t play with us anymore. We have to get used to that. I’m trying to find the best formula. I do what I consider to be best for the team. It’s my decision.”
🗣️ Luis Enrique on substituting Kylian Mbappé at half time:
— Football Talk (@FootballTalkHQ) March 2, 2024
“Sooner or later he won’t play with us anymore. We have to get used to that. I'm trying to find the best formula.
I do what I consider to be best for the team. It's my decision.” pic.twitter.com/vajXyeo6VK
It seems that the club is going to prepare for life without their best player already ahead of next season. It remains to be seen what happens in their next match against Real Sociedad in the UCL Round of 16 second leg, and whether Kylian Mbappe will play a big part in it.
