“We have blind faith in them” - Adrien Rabiot makes bold claim on Kylian Mbappe and France teammate not being at ‘top of their game’ in Euro 2024
France midfielder Adrien Rabiot made a big claim about Kylian Mbappe and teammate Antoine Griezmann allegedly not being at their best during EURO 2024. This comes ahead of their semi-final clash against Spain at Allianz Arena on July 9.
Mbappe and Griezmann have struggled to meet expectations, even though Les Bleus have gotten so far in the competition. The duo has scored a combined one goal after the former Paris Saint-Germain superstar booked his effort from the penalty spot against Poland.
Adrien Rabiot criticised and complimented both players during his press conference ahead of their EURO 2024 semi-final, telling reporters (via Mirror):
"For Kylian and Antoine, maybe their legs aren't as fresh as they could be, but we are 100% behind them. We have blind faith in them. They are players who can change a game at any point. When we have the captain [Mbappe] or Antoine experiencing a rough patch, it's fine, we are there to support them.
"But obviously it would be easier if Kylian and Antoine were at the top of their game, which has not been the case so far. I think everyone is surprised because we know what he [Griezmann] is capable of."
Kylian Mbappe notably broke his nose when he clashed with Kevin Danso during their group-stage match against Austria. This probably affected the forward's game so far, as he has had to wear a mask during his other appearances at EURO 2024.
France legend wants Kylian Mbappe benched for EURO 2024 semi-final
France legend Frank Leboeuf urged head coach Didier Deschamps to bench Kylian Mbappe for the EURO 2024 semi-final clash. The former player spoke to ESPN (via Metro) about Mbappe, revealing that the new Real Madrid signing was simply struggling with the face mask on.
Leboeuf claimed that Mbappe is "not at 100 percent, he’s maybe at 50, 60 percent." He also warned Deschamps that the forward "has a broken nose, he has a problem with the mask, he shouldn’t play."
There is no guarantee that the head coach will take the France legend's words into consideration, especially as Kylian Mbappe is the captain of the national team. The 25-year-old forward will hope he can meet expectations against Spain and lead his country to the EURO 2024 final.