“A lot of pressure and that’s normal, there is a place in the Champions League final,” says Kylian Mbappé

In an interview with the Sports department of Radio France, the Parisian striker talks about the semi-final of the Champions League, his association aimed at young people, but also the Olympics.

Two days before the semi-final return of the Champions League between Paris Saint-Germain and Dortmund, Kylian Mbappé feels “lots and lots of pressure” but “the group is extremely calm, we are confident” for qualification for the final, assured the PSG striker during an interview given to the sports department of Radio France and to our colleagues from AFP, Le Parisien, the So Foot club and Brut.

The interview took place after an event organized on the Champs-Elysées in Paris by the association he chairs, “IBKM” for “Inspired by KM”. Launched in 2020, it displays the desire to“open the field of possibilities for children”. Thus, some 2,000 young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods or with disabilities were able to participate in sporting activities on the famous avenue and meet Kylian Mbappé.

franceinfo: Precisely 2024 children took part in this event, is it a coincidence in this Olympic year? Was it an important moment for you?

Kylian Mbappé: Of course there was a nod to the Champs-Elysées where the Olympic flame will pass. We had this project, for a year, to organize a sporting challenge in Paris. It was a special moment. Everyone knows how important this foundation is to my family and me. The children were smiling all day and that was really the goal. Events like this enrich our experience and make us want to continue. It was a great day and I’m happy with the result.

Why do you invest so much in young people?

I always wanted to give back what was given to me. I think I’m on the other side of the bridge: now it’s up to me to give. I think I’m lucky to have succeeded, to have this life, to be privileged. I want to thank everyone who contributed directly or indirectly to this event. I saw all the work that has been done, it’s really wonderful on the Champs-Élysées, it’s unprecedented and it lives up to what the children deserve.

What values ​​do you want to pass on to them?

I want to pass on my values ​​to them. These values ​​of respect, ambition, elegance because we live in an increasingly difficult world. I think we should try to prepare children as early as possible for what awaits them. Preparing them isn’t about stuffing their heads, it’s about giving them the opportunity to experience extraordinary things, sending them messages. I want them to have something that will help them in life. My message is: “Continue to believe in your dreams, don’t put limits on yourself.” This is the goal of this foundation, to support them, to help them believe in themselves because anything can happen. Everything happened to me because I believed in it and people helped me.

On Tuesday, PSG will play the semi-final second leg of the Champions League against Dortmund, have the children talked about the match?

I heard a lot of: “We must win” And they are right. You’ll have to be there Tuesday, but in the meantime it’s Sunday. It’s also a message for them to say: no matter what happens on Tuesday, I’m here today and I want to have a good time with you. There is the player and there is the man, and I think an event like today helps the player prepare. For the player to be fulfilled, the man must first be fulfilled and days like these help a man to flourish. So for sure I will arrive at the match in a good mood and ready to defend the colors of my team and qualify for the final.

Do you feel any pressure two days before the match against Dortmund?

Yes, a lot, a lot of pressure and that’s normal because there is a place in the Champions League final, it’s not negligible. Even more so when we know the club’s history in this competition. So pressure, but the group is extremely calm, we are confident and we are sure that we will qualify for the final.

You have not hidden your desire to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In an interview with the Tribune Dimanche, Emmanuel Macron explains that he asked your father the question and he responded, according to the Head of State, that you “wanted to do them”. It’s the case ?

My position has not changed. Now, the truth too is that this is not my news. My news is Paris Saint-Germain. And so it’s true that as I speak to you, the Olympics, I don’t think about it much. But my official position regarding the Olympics has not changed.

You have been captain of the France team since March 2023. You will experience your first captaincy during a major competition during the Euro football tournament in June. How do you approach these additional responsibilities?

I think we are in continuity. I’m going to use what happened before. And it’s definitely going to be a great competition for us. We are eagerly awaited and we really want to do something big. But we will wait to see in what condition we recover all our players, already, because at the moment there are a few injured (laughs). But we will have time to prepare and try to make the French dream as we tried to do during the last competitions.