“Be careful when you pick things up” - France coach Didier Deschamps responds to sexual assault allegations against Kylian Mbappe in Sweden
France head coach Didier Deschamps has responded to the sexual assault allegations directed towards Kylian Mbappe. He warned against circulating unverified news in the media as he debunked the rape claims against the French captain.
A report on Monday, October 14, by Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet claimed that the police are investigating an alleged sexual assault incident at a hotel where Mbappe stayed with his friends during a two-day visit to Stockholm, Sweden.
It was also reported that the Real Madrid superstar went clubbing while nursing an injury that supposedly led to his omission from the national team squad.
Mbappe has since labeled the alleged sexual assault report as "fake news". However, that did not stop reporters from mentioning it after France's 2-1 victory over Belgium in the UEFA Nations League on Monday night.
When questioned about the allegations surrounding the France captain, Deschamps replied (via JacarandaFM):
"Everyone is free to write what they want but there is a negative atmosphere around the French team."
The France coach then debunked the claims against Kylian Mbappe, warning that such news ought to be verified before they are being circulated:
"Be careful when you pick things up," Deschamps warned
"You had better take a bit of a step back before publishing anything and everything, but these things happen so often," he said, appearing to cast doubt on the report. There are things that are not difficult to verify, but if you credit any old thing," he added.
Deschamps concluded by saying he wasn't going to discuss the matter with Mbappe.
"In any case I am not going to talk to him about it. He is big enough to know how to communicate," he said.
How did France perform in the UEFA Nations League without Kylian Mbappe?
Kylian Mbappe was not part of France's contingent for their October international games. Coach Didier Deschamps left the 25-year-old out of the squad to avoid injury risks.
Les Bleus secured wins against Israel (4-1) and Belgium (2-1) in the UEFA Nations League without Mbappe. Both games were away fixtures.
France are second in their Nations League group. They have nine points from four games and are a point behind group leaders Italy.