"For me, he is not a good captain" - Emmanuel Petit calls out Kylian Mbappe for his comments after France's Euro 2024 exit
Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit reckons Kylian Mbappe didn't potray himself as a good captain after his comments following Les Bleus' Euro 2024 exit to Spain in the semi-final. The two-time winners went down 2-1 to La Roja in Munich on Tuesday (July 9).
Didier Deschamps' side made a bright start at the Allianz Arena, with Randal Kolo Muani heading in Mbappe's cross in the ninth minute. However, La Roja hit back through a brilliant Lamine Yamal equaliser 12 minutes later before Dani Olmo's deflected strike - off Jules Kounde - gave them a lead they never relinquished.
Following the loss, the new Real Madrid striker admitted that he had a below-par tournament (as per ESPN via Forbes):
"My competition? It was difficult. It was a failure. We had the ambition to be European champions. I had the ambition to be European champion. We aren't that, so it's a failure.
"It's football. We have to move on. It's been a long year. I'm going to go on holiday and get some rest — that'll do me a lot of good, and I'll try and come back strongly."
However, Petit said that Mbappe didn't potray himself in good light for being critical of his teammates, saying on RMC (via Forbes):
"For me, he is not a good captain after the signals he has sent after taking office, ()which were) almost forced."
"The statements towards his teammates, for example, when he said that good balls did not reach him, that he did not want (Paul) Pogba in his team or that (Antoine) Griezmann was not having a good Euros. ... Is it the role of captain to point out the failures of his teammates? comrades?"
The 1998 FIFA World Cup winner continued:
"And then, excuse me, all the fuss around the mask after his breaking his nose. Who cares! He's not the first player to play with a broken nose, he won't be the last.
"He demanded a lot of things to have this armband, and, for me, he didn't have leadership either on or off the field. At no time did I see him harangue his teammates."
Spain meet England in the Euro 2024 final in Berlin on Sunday (July 14).
How Kylian Mbappe fared for France at Euro 2024?
France striker Kylian Mbappe had a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign by his staggering standards. Coming off a 44-goal season with PSG - his most prolific in club football - the 26-year-old scored only once in five games as Les Bleus fell in the last-four.
After going scoreless in his maiden European Championship campaign three years ago - where he missed his spot-kick in the Round of 16 shootout defeat to Switzerland - Kylian Mbappe broke his duck in the 1-1 draw with Poland.
However, he was quiet in the first two Euro 2024 knockout games - against Belgium and Portugal - before setting up Kolo Muani for France's opener in the semi-final defeat to La Roja this week.