"Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me" - Kylian Mbappe says PSG 'violently' told him he won't be allowed to play this season
Real Madrid's sensational new signing Kylian Mbappe has spoken about the difficulties during the recent season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). When it became clear that he had no intentions of continuing his career at the Parc des Princes, his playing time in Paris was affected.
Notably, he didn't extend his contract last summer, which saw the French giants punish him by leaving him out of their pre-season tour. With the hierarchy unhappy that the 25-year-old was set to leave them on a free transfer in the summer, threats were made to his playing time.
Kylian Mbappe revealed as much at his press conference ahead of France's friendly game against Luxembourg on June 5. He said (via Football Espana):
“They made me understand, they told me to my face, they spoke to me violently, they told me. [Head coach] Luis Enrique and [Sporting Director] Luis Campos saved me. Without them I would not have stepped onto the playing field again. That is the truth, and that is why I have always been so grateful to the coach and the sports director."
He also revealed that being able to play made the season very important to him:
"As soon as I played, it was already a successful season. Although I have had better seasons, this one was the most difficult to play in and I am proud to have played it. Technically it may not have been that good, but when I see what I have had to go through, I feel happy and I think it is the best season of my career.”
However, the former PSG forward noted that he had not been unhappy during his time with the French giants:
"At PSG I wasn’t unhappy, that would be spitting in the soup. There are things that made me unhappy, but there are things that can’t be shown because I was a leader and you don’t follow someone who is depressed.
"It would be poor form to come out and badmouth them, saying that I was unhappy at PSG, but there were things that made me unhappy and I wouldn’t settle for a year like that."
Kylian Mbappe played 48 games across competitions last season, starting 43 of them. He scored 44 goals and provided 10 assists.
Overall, he's scored an impressive 256 goals and provided 108 assists in just 306 games with PSG. He notably became their all-time record goalscorer, winning every trophy except the Champions League.
Real Madrid sign Kylian Mbappe after the forward leaves on a free from PSG
Kylian Mbappe announced last summer that he would be leaving PSG on a free transfer after deciding against spending more time at the club. It was an open secret that Real Madrid had made moves to sign the forward, especially after he turned his back on them in 2022.
This time, though, he accepted the terms from the Spanish giants and is set to spend the next five years at the Santiago Bernabeu. It was announced by the club only two days after they won the UEFA Champions League for the 15th time. Kylian Mbappe will be hoping he can lead them to a 16th trophy in the coming season.
Since the announcement, messages from club legends and current players have filtered in, giving Mbappe a warm welcome. His official unveiling, though, is yet to happen. He is also set to wear the No. 9 jersey, which was last worn by club legend Karim Benzema.