“You have destroyed 7 years of your career” - Kylian Mbappe sent harsh assessment by journalist after Champions League exit
Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) wait for a Champions League title continued, following their 1-0 (2-0 aggregate) loss to Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final second-leg clash on Tuesday night (May 7). Mbappe is reportedly set to join Real Madrid at the end of the season, so he might never win the coveted European trophy as a PSG player.
The deputy director of Spanish sports daily Diario AS Tomas Roncero made a harsh assessment of Mbappe's club career so far. He claimed the Frenchman had "destroyed seven years of his career" by joining PSG from Monaco in 2017.
“You have destroyed seven years of your career. Real Madrid fans breathe a sigh of relief, and so does Mbappe. You couldn’t present a player the day after he scored the goal that loses you the Champions League. Ultimately, this is perfect.” Roncero said (translated from Spanish via Football Espana).
Kylian Mbappe was unable to find the net in either leg of the Champions League semi-final against Borussia Dortmund. In the current season, the French attacker has eight goals in the competition.
Reports suggest that he's on his way to Madrid to join Los Blancos. With PSG's run in the Champions League now done and dusted for the season, the official announcement could come soon, per multiple reports.
Kylian Mbappe's journey in the UEFA Champions League at a glance
Kylian Mbappe joined PSG on loan from Monaco in the summer of 2017, with the deal being made permanent the following season. Despite winning six Ligue 1 titles, Mbappe is yet to win the Champions League.
The Frenchman has 48 goals and 26 assists in 73 Champions League appearances. Mbappe played in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in the 2019-20 season, but PSG lost the match 1-0, with Kingsley Coman scoring the winning goal.
In the following season, PSG was knocked out of the competition following a 4-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester City in the semi-finals. Mbappe was unable to score in either leg against the English giants.
In the 2021-22 season, Paris Saint-Germain bowed out of the Champions League after a 4-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the Round of 16 despite Mbappe scoring one goal each in both legs. PSG won the first leg 1-0, but Karim Benzema's hat-trick in the second leg proved to be the deciding factor.
After another Round of 16 exit following a defeat to Bayern last season, PSG were able to qualify for the Champions League semi-final this season for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Kylian Mbappe scored against Real Sociedad across both legs of the Round of 16 and found the net twice against Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg.
However, following the loss against Dortmund, his hopes of winning the Champions League with PSG remained incomplete.