"He was angry" - FFF president Noel Le Graet says Kylian Mbappe wanted to quit French national team after Euro 2020 missed penalty
French Football president Noel Le Graet has claimed that Kylian Mbappe wanted to quit playing for France following his crucial missed penalty at Euro 2020.
Didier Deschamps' side were the favourites heading into last summer's tournament, having won the FIFA World Cup in 2018, but they fell well short as they were knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland.
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The Swiss managed to claw back a 3-1 deficit to take the encounter to a penalty shootout, in which the first nine spot-kicks were all perfect. Mbappe stepped up knowing that he had to score to keep his side in the competition. But he saw his effort saved by Yann Sommer to cap off a miserable tournament for the PSG superstar in which he failed to find the net.
In an interview with Journal du Dimanche, Le Graet has revealed how upset Mbappe was with his miss, as he stated (via RMC Sport):
"I had received him after the Euros, he found that the Federation had not defended him after his missed penalty and the criticism on the networks. We had seen each other for five minutes in my office.
"I did not wanted to say that, on the contrary, you have always been very nice. He was angry, he no longer wanted to play in the France team - which he obviously did not think. You know what it is, it's a winner, he was very frustrated, like all of us, by the elimination. He is so publicized. He is a great guy, much more collective than you think"
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said Kylian Mbappe “must have changed his dream” when he decided to remain at Paris Saint-Germain — and has said the World Cup winner is “no longer the Mbappe I wanted to bring to Madrid”.
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Kylian Mbappe admits he considered his future in the French national team
Speaking to L'Equipe in October last year, Mbappe admitted he was incredibly affected by what happened at the European Championship, claiming that he never wanted to be a "problem."
The pacy forward stated (as per RMC Sport):
"I have always put the France team above everything and I will always put it above everything. I have never touched a euro for play in the France team and I will always play for free for my country. Above all, I never wanted to be a problem. But from the moment I felt that I was supposedly starting to become a problem and that people felt like a problem... The most important thing is the France team, and if the France team is happier without me, that's how it is."
Following the Switzerland defeat, Mbappe scored seven goals in five appearances for Les Bleus at the end of the year and will undoubtedly be a central figure for Deschamps' side at the Qatar World Cup later this year.
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Achraf Hakimi and his best friend Kylian Mbappé are in Morocco for holidays. 🌟🇲🇦
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