Interviewed Thursday evening on M6, Kylian Mbappé explained why he supported Paris Saint-Germain during the Champions League final against Arsenal, which the Parisian club won on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Despite his move to Real Madrid and the financial disputes with his former club, the French national team captain admitted to having supported PSG. His answer: "We were supporting PSG."
Saliba alone against the French team
Mbappé justified this support by citing the presence of numerous French national team players in the Parisian ranks. In contrast, Arsenal only had one French player involved: William Saliba. The French striker summed up the situation with a clear statement: "Sorry about William, but he was all alone."
A locker room mindset before the World Cup
For Mbappé, the stakes went beyond simply joining his former club. With the World Cup approaching, he primarily wanted to see as many of his teammates as possible arrive at the national team with confidence and a positive attitude. Les Bleus are scheduled to begin their campaign on Tuesday, June 16th against Senegal. In this context, a victory for PSG would allow several French internationals to join the squad with a positive momentum.
A deliberate show of support despite the history with Paris
The most striking point remains the context: Mbappé did not leave PSG in a completely peaceful atmosphere. His departure for Real Madrid was followed by financial disputes with the Parisian club. This did not, however, prevent him from supporting the French players of PSG in the European final. Even if, deep down, a much more mixed feeling must prevail. Having gone to Real Madrid to win the Champions League, he saw PSG conquer Europe two years in a row, while Real suffered defeat after defeat, both domestically and in Europe…
