“I hope that on July 7th we will still be proud to wear this jersey”: Ahead of the new elections in France, national team captain Kylian Mbappé takes a remarkably clear stance against the ultra-right Rassemblement National.
The French can read in recent football history that a sporting mission can be jeopardized when political debates disrupt concentration – for example with the Germans and their armband drama in Qatar. But it doesn’t help: the future of the country is at stake since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly just over a week ago and called new elections for June 30 and July 7. Marine Le Pen’s ultra-right, EU-critical Rassemblement National (RN) was by far the strongest force in the vote for the European Parliament – and is now also reaching for government responsibility in Paris. How can one prepare for a European Championship without being political?