"Playing at PSG doesn't help much" - Kylian Mbappe believes he gets criticized often because he plays in France
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe has claimed that his performances get underrated because he plays in France.
Mbappe is certainly one of the best footballers on the planet right now. He has put in spectacular performances for club and country over the years, including last season. The Frenchman scored 41 goals and provided 10 assists in 43 games for PSG.
He also helped France reach the FIFA World Cup final in Qatar against Argentina. The 24-year-old won the Golden Boot, scoring eight goals, including a hat-trick in the final.
However, due to Ligue 1 being perceived as a lesser competitive league than the likes of the Premier League, Kylian Mbappe's performances sometimes go unnoticed.
In an interview with France Football, the winger pointed out the same:
"We are in a consumer society, where 'it's good, but do it again'. And the fact that I'm right next door, in Paris... I think playing at PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club. So, of course it attracts gossip but it doesn't bother me because I know what I'm doing and how I do it."
Kylian Mbappe moved to PSG from AS Monaco in 2017. Since then, he has won five Ligue 1 titles with the club, among other honors. He is also the club's all-time top scorer with 212 goals in 260 games, along with 98 assists.
Kylian Mbappe on PSG's failure to win UEFA Champions League
PSG have had some of the best players in their roster over the years but they still have failed to win the UEFA Champions League trophy. They came close in 2020, reaching the final against Bayern Munich but lost 1-0.
Kylian Mbappe recently pointed fingers for the club's failure in the coveted competition to the higher-ups. He stated that the players, including himself, give it their all but the management and owners need to be held accountable.
He said (via 90min):
“I don't know what PSG are missing [to win the Champions League], it's not too much of a question for me. We did what we could, period. You have to talk to the people who make the team, who organise the squad, who build this club. Me, I just try to do my job as well as possible..."
He added:
"I could do better by my standards. But no magic either. Even the other players gave their all. Sometimes in football you face what is called a glass ceiling. That's why it's not too much of a question for me but more for above."
The Parisians were eliminated in the Round of 16 stages of the Champions League in the last seasons by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively.