It was in a small living room in the Parc des Princes, surrounded by his relatives, that Kylian Mbappé gave a few minutes to a few French radio stations. Smiling, relaxed, the PSG star striker explained why he chose to extend to PSG rather than go to Real Madrid.
“The decision was really difficult”
Most important decision of your life? “The decision was really difficult, it was really complicated to choose but it was important to choose, that’s what makes a man too, to make choices and I made my choice after careful consideration and analysis. of all parameters.”
Are you really relieved? “(smile) I’m relieved because I managed to finish top scorer and top assist, that was my biggest relief of the weekend! But of course, relieved because it’s something that dragged on for months, it had become my daily life so of course life will be more peaceful now that I have managed to free myself from it.
You talked about change that pushes you to extend, what will change since last year? “Changes don’t come overnight. This question is not for me, it is for the president. I can’t hold a press conference and say I’m just a player and come and give you the club’s plans. I do not have them. We discussed the contours but not necessarily the details. You have to trust the men who carry the projects too, in football you never have guarantees.”
What are the specific parameters that prompted you to stay at PSG? “There are a lot of parameters that came into play. The sporting side. The club came with a project and a real intention to restructure the whole club to really get back to the top. We had made the final, semi-final, We fell back to 8th. I wanted to stay in these teams that matter in European football. And then there is France. I know my importance in the country, I am reminded of it. When you are a national figure, you have rights but you also have duties… to leave France like that, for free even if I had rendered good and loyal service this year, I think it was not the right time to leave.”
“He (the President of the Republic) gave me good advice”
Who reminded you of your homework? President Macron? “He gave me good advice. He really wanted me to stay like a lot of people. happens. But I’m happy because despite everything that can be said, it’s still my decision.”
We know you would like to play the 2024 Olympics, will that do it? “I shouted from the rooftops that I wanted to do the Games and do them as a major player for the biggest French club. It also played a role, it’s not just that factor, it’s a set of factors that fact that I said to myself it’s not the moment to leave, to stay a little longer is good.”
Your choice not to travel to Madrid has apparently tensed your upset friend and team-mate Karim Benzema? “I didn’t talk to him but we’re going to discuss it. When we went to the France team we were next door, we were talking about football, I didn’t want to add to it. Now I’m going to go to the selection and we’ll talk about it with him quietly.”
A persistent rumor announces Zinedine Zidane as a lead to replace Mauricio Pochettino:“(smile) Zidane is Zidane. I don’t know what he’s going to do, I haven’t spoken to him. I think he prefers the selection, I don’t know if he’s going to want to come to the PSG. I follow your news, I listen to you to tell me what Zidane is going to do (laughs).”