At the Parc des Princes,
After an entire summer spent playing the king of silence, even though he still preempted all the front pages of the sports newspapers for almost two months, and now that this damn transfer window is over, Kylian Mbappé will finally be able to do what he does best: playing ball, stringing pawns and shutting mouths. If he has already started to do so with PSG (3 goals in two games), it is now in the jersey of the France team that the king of Bondy is expected with firm footing, with two games against Ireland (at the Parc des Princes, Thursday, in the Euro 2024 qualifiers) and in Germany (September 12 in a friendly match).
Speaking of mouths, his own this time, everyone expected him to finally open it, he who has not spoken officially since last June, at the he occasion of a trip by the Blues to Gibraltar, at an already distant time when the revelation of his famous letter, in which he informed PSG of his intention not to extend, stirred the news. Suffice to say that on this eve of France-Ireland, as was customary with former captain Hugo Lloris, the new boss was, if not expected, at least hoped for, at a pre-match press conference. . Missed. Instead, it was his right arm Antoine Griezmann who came to do the dirty work in front of the press. Asked about the absence of the captain, the Madrilenian skillfully evacuated the question. “At the press conference, it depends on what the coach wants, I am available. Never mind ! “.
Mbappé skips the pre-match conference
No matter, perhaps, it does not prevent that we would have liked the Minister of Youth and Sports to come and end three months of motus and tight mouth. Especially since in Gibraltar, at the start of a storm, the “Kyks” had announced that he was not the type to dodge the pack. “I have a responsibility as captain of the France team. It’s not a few noises outside that will scare me away from my responsibilities as captain, confided the Parisian striker at the time. I am here. I won’t always be there. Today it was important to be there to avoid any interpretation of flight or fear. It’s not my temperament at all. »
We therefore posed the question to Didier Deschamps. “There is no obligation that it is always the captain who is there, replied the coach. In the reflection that I can have, there is the interest of the France team. I know very well that you have a great interest in Kylian. I don’t think there would have been many questions about the game against Ireland if he had been there. I put before the collective interest. I hope it went well with Antoine, even if you still manage to ask questions about Kylian. Kylian is doing very well, he resumed with his club, chaining the matches. He is physically and morally well, he is there with his status as captain. A captain’s status, new ambitions and a season that promises to be as exciting as it is crucial in the boy’s career, for several reasons. We take stock.
- A quest for C1 with his new friends
Many people saw in his intention not to activate his optional year with PSG, and this in order to join, free, Real Madrid next summer, as a tactic to force his departure from PSG as soon as possible. It did not happen. We said he was unhappy with the summer 2022 transfer window, we imagine him much more satisfied with the latest opus, with the arrival of his friends Lucas Hernandez, Ousmane Dembélé and Randal Kolo Muani. After having succeeded in putting what remained of the Sudam’ clan in a trunk heading abroad, Mbappé seems to have been heard in high places, so he will be able to fully devote himself to putting Paris back on the map of the big European clubs, even of offer him the first Champions League in its history. If he really wants to go to Madrid next summer, knowing that he dreams of leaving Paris as a legend, now is the time and he will be eagerly awaited by the Red and Blue people.
- A Euro to conquer after the disappointments of 2021 and 2022
We still remember the head he shot when going up on the stage to recover the chocolate medal, in Doha, a few minutes after the defeat of the Blues in the World Cup final against Argentina. Him too, of course. Luckily, the next major event is coming at full speed. For that, you still have to qualify for Euro 2024, as Deschamps reminded us again on Thursday in conf. But, assuming that the Blues will be there – because they will be there, Didier, you know yourself – there is a chance that we will find a Kylian Mbappé more revengeful than ever, carried by his new responsibility as captain, and the equally painful memory of his missed peno against Switzerland during the last European Championship 2021. All the ingredients are there for Kyky and his band to send heavyweight to Germany next summer.
- A Ballon d’Or to fetch
With “if” we could put Paris (and therefore Mbappé) in a bottle, that’s fine, we know that. But if the two previous points were to smile at Mbappé and his teams, the boy would necessarily have something to do with it, and he could therefore (finally) really apply for the 2024 Golden Ball. For this year’s one, we forget, he is promised to his former teammate at PSG Leo Messi, winner of the World Cup to his nose and his beard. Casually, he will then be 26 years old. In the plans he made in his head in the evening, before turning off his bedside lamp, little Mbappé surely imagined it would take less time than that to become the numero uno. Without saying that time is running out, the number 10 of the Blues does not have his whole life ahead of him either. Tick-tock, tick-tock (again).
- A reputation to look after (like every year)
Well, as far as this point is concerned, we write the same thing every year, so we’re not going to spend long hours on it. After each aborted departure to Real, Mbappé provokes the wrath of Parisian and Madrid supporters. And each time, whether on the PSG side – with supporters who forget his desires for infidelity at the first lightning acceleration -, or on the Casa Blanca side – with fans who quickly forgive him his delay and kneel in front of him. him every summer – the “Kyks” always manages to land on his feet. This year again, faith of connoisseur, it will be the same. The Park already praised him last week against Lens, and we bet our woolen socks that the Merengues will do the same next summer.
- Bonus track: The gold medal at the Olympics with his friend Titi Henry
Mbappé is an overbooked man and, despite the many challenges that await him and which we have just listed, the Frenchman does not seem determined to draw a line under participation in the 2024 Olympics, at home in Paris. Even less now that Thierry Henry is in place. It remains to be seen whether, with the crazy season ahead of him, with the German Euro as the high point, he will have the canes (and the green light from his club) to be there. If he stays in Paris, he will get it, as he has always gotten everything. If he signs in Madrid, we trust his mother and adviser to slip an OJ clause in addition to the 98,673 others in his oil king contract.