“Your nose is not twisted, is it?" - Kylian Mbappe and Poland star indulge in light-hearted banter during Euro 2024 clash
France international Kylian Mbappe enjoyed a hilarious conversation with Poland goalkeeper Marcin Bulka during their Euro 2024 clash on Tuesday (June 25). The Nice shot-stopper enquired about the Real Madrid superstar's injured nose when he gave a rib-tickling reply.
Here is their conversation (via Madrid Xtra on Twitter):
Marcin Bułka, Polish GK: “Your nose is not twisted, is it?
Mbappé: “No, it’s fine. It’s better than yours.”
This comes after the attacker suffered a broken nose in France's first group-stage fixture, a 1-0 win over Austria on June 17. In the second half, he collided with defender Kevin Danso, receiving treatment on the field before eventually leaving the game.
Mbappe missed their second match against the Netherlands on June 21 before regaining fitness to feature against Poland. Before the game, Bulka presented the 25-year-old with a customized mask, made by a Polish company.
Mbappe finally got on the scoresheet against Poland, scoring from the spot after failing to find the back of the net in his first game. France will be hoping that he finds his form, as they begin their knockout campaign with a Round-of-16 clash against Belgium on Monday (July 1).
France legend hits out at Kylian Mbappe for his performances at Euro 2024
Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has suggested that Kylian Mbappe has not done enough for the national side as a captain. In an interview with talkSPORT, the former Arsenal man claimed that the 25-year-old has also failed to take responsibility.
He said:
"In terms of ego, I heard something that some players can be annoyed sometimes because he is taking up a lot of space in the dressing room and outside. For me, Kylian Mbappe is probably the best player in the team and the team is behind him but as I said before, as a leader, he hasn't responded in the best way on the pitch."
"He is asking always about responsibility, to be the main man, to be the best player in the world. He has great ambition but he has to put himself under pressure because you have been there. He is far from what he can do for this team so I am expecting much more than that so if you keep doing that, it could be a problem with the rest of the players," Petit added.
It has not been a particularly memorable Euro 2024 campaign for the Real Madrid superstar. He has scored just once and also missed a game after injuring his nose against Austria.
France were able to qualify only as the second-placed team from a difficult Group D, which included Austria (table-toppers), the Netherlands, and Poland. They will face Belgium in the Round of 16 to begin their Euro 2024 knockout campaign on Monday (July 1).