Kylian Mbappe has once again been left out of the France squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches vs Israel and Italy. Mbappe missed France’s previous international fixtures due to a thigh injury, but this time the Frenchman is not injured.
According to reports, the Real Madrid star actually refused to be called-up. Meanwhile, L’Equipe reported that Mbappe prefers to stay in Spain and not join his national team. It is further being reported that Mbappe doesn’t want to be part of France anymore, at least as long as Didier Deschamps is in charge of the team. The pair have reportedly fallen out.
Meanwhile, Mbappe camp, including his mother and agent Fayza Lamari, want the French federation to sack Deschamps. Many players also reportedly don’t want Deschamps in charge anymore, who has been at the helm for 12 years. The players are calling for a change and want Zinedine Zidane to replace his former teammate.
Deschamps has also revealed that Mbappe’s exclusion is not due to recent reports in Swedish media that the striker was the subject of a rape investigation.
“I won’t argue with you. These two things are what I can tell you. The first was Kylian’s desire to attend. Second, since the presumption of innocence exists and must exist, it is not the additional sporting issues that are involved. It’s a one-off choice for this gathering,” he said.
Mbappe has been in poor form since joining Madrid and was the victim of criticism during their 0-4 defeat to Barcelona last month and also their 1-3 loss to AC Milan.
Speaking about Mbappe’s poor club form, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said, “Mbappe is down but not out.”
“Mbappe hasn’t been at his best lately, but the Italian coach wouldn’t place the blame on him. His issue is a one that affects everyone. We still haven’t found our rhythm. However, I have faith that Mbappe will overcome this challenging time,” he continued.
In response to Mbappe’s absence from the France squad, he stated, “I have no authority to criticize the national team coach’s decision. I don’t let myself do that.”
