Mere coincidence or strategy? Questions arose on Monday, May 9, when Kylian Mbappé posted a photo on his Instagram account with his PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi. The photo itself is not enough to make you jump from the ceiling. On the other hand, its location has capsized more than one: “Kyky” was in Madrid. While rumors send him to the side of Real, his presence in the Spanish capital has set the fans ablaze.
In the end, what should we remember from this day of rest for Kylian Mbappé in Iberian lands? “We must not over-interprettempers Virgile Caillet, specialist in sports marketing and general delegate of the Union Sport & Cycle. He is such a unique player that it makes you fantasize and, in addition, we arrive in the ‘money time’“.
“It reminds me of David Beckham a bit. Every time he moved he was followed everywhere”recalls Lionel Maltese, an expert in strategic management in sport. In fact, to Madrid, once the news of his presence became known, the media dispatched photographers to the four corners of the city to scrutinize the actions of the world champion. And Lionel Maltese to add:
“He could have done without it, that’s for sure, but at least he was transparent. He has the power over it, anyway.”
Lionel Maltese, specialist in sports managementat franceinfo: sport
Virgile Caillet goes in the same direction, describing Kylian Mbappe as “a very intelligent guy, well surrounded” who “controls everything he does”. “He was obviously aware of the potential repercussions of his actions.” For him, this Madrid getaway “seems to say, ‘I’m still the master of the clocks.’ His lawyer and his mother run everything.” Fayza Lamari also reacted quickly, last week, when The Parisian claimed, wrongly according to her, that an extension to PSG was in sight for her son.
Faced with pressure from the two clubs, can we also see it as a form of freedom for the striker? “He’s free, that’s clear”, answers Lionel Maltese. European football may not be used to such player-led play and communication. “In the United States, they do transfer marketing and it’s assumed. With us, it’s not clear”adds Maltese.
In the past, certain players expected in certain clubs had gone to the city. Lionel Maltese remembers: “There was the Diego Maradona episode in Naples or when [Bernard] Tapie tried to sign him for Marseille”. From there to learn from it, Lionel Maltese does not take this step: “Even if he had been elsewhere in Spain, it would have made a subject.”
For the two sports marketing specialists, the panic is up to the challenge for PSG and Real, which goes beyond the sporting aspect alone. “Mbappé is also a brand, a business. There is a lot of tension because it is clear that the outcome is near”recalls Virgile Caillet.
For his part, Kylian Mbappé does not seem concerned about the reactions caused following his photo. In his latest story on Tuesday, the French striker posted a snapshot where we see him lying in the seat of a jet.