Kylian Mbappé, symbol of a PSG which no longer succeeds in its farewells

Kylian Mbappé said goodbye to the Parc des Princes. Two days after the announcement of his departure from PSG, the native of Bondy said goodbye to his audience, almost discreetly. Paris lost its standoff with its star striker, who did not wish to continue his adventure in the capital.

The top scorer in the history of Paris Saint-Germain (256 goals) left the Park with a goal, a defeat against Toulouse (1-3), a tifo with his image hoisted in the stands, the celebration of the 12th title champion of France, but also a few whistles when his name was announced before the match.

A taste of bitterness for the French striker, who will not have succeeded in bringing the Champions League back to “his” club, as much as for the Parisian public, a fringe of whom has finished being tired of the elastic soap opera of his departure two years ago. Arriving in Paris in 2017 at 18, still a teenager and promising, Kylian Mbappé will leave France at 25 on a timid note.

Mbappé leaves Paris with a taste of unfinished business

The club’s announcement, the day before, of the absence of a tribute for its striker, citing too tight timing after the formalization of his departure, resonated with a strange echo for the one who will leave the championship in 7th place among the best scorers in history.

This departure only adds to the list of failed farewells from the club’s stars. In addition to failing to achieve its objectives on the European scene,he Paris Saint-Germain got into this bad habit, when it took the time to greet its players during the first years under the Qatari flag. After Rai or Pauleta, whose farewells remained memorable, Kylian Mbappé had everything to be their successor. It has not happened.

The previous Thiago Silva-Cavani

Beyond the first Champions League final in the club’s history (lost to Bayern Munich), this period also marked the end of the adventure under its colors of two of its most iconic players in the 21st century: its captain, Thiago Silva, and its top scorer at the time, Edinson Cavani. Trapped by the arrival of Covid-19 in the calendar, PSG found itself with its two captains without a contract for the final phase of the Champions League, organized in Lisbon at the end of August.

History records that Thiago Silva had agreed to extend his contract for two months, but no agreement was reached with the Uruguayan. No farewell to the Park, goodbyes on Instagram, late but calm for Cavani, but above all the feeling of a departure in anonymity and resentment, on one side or the other.

If the break with “O Monstro” and “El Matador” fueled regrets, it has nothing to compare with the sneaky departure of Lionel Messi last summer. Announced with great fanfare, the recruitment of the Argentine star to PSG caused a shock wave in the world of football, for an unsatisfactory result on the field. Above all, the Argentinian has never entered the hearts of Parisian supporters.

His departure, announced laconically in a series of tasteless tweets, was followed by a victory lap avoided to return directly to the locker room, without going to see an audience with whom history will always have been upset.

This time, the Covid-19 excuse does not exist, and the equally discreet farewells of Sergio Ramos or Neymar, the ultimate figurehead of the Qatari project, only confirmed the trend, even if Marco Verratti, adored by the supporters, escaped this when he left for the Qatari championship.

Ibrahimovic, the last big meeting

Some will argue that those of Angel Di Maria, made on the last day of the 2021-2022 season, had reconciled PSG with the farewells. But that evening, we will especially remember the party for the extension of Kylian Mbappé. Especially since the best passer in the history of the club (112 offerings) almost never saw a farewell at the Parc des Princes. The supporters’ strike had strained the atmosphere a few days earlier and the club decided at the last minute to pay tribute to him.

Finally, between the celebration with the supporters, the tribute video and the guards of honor of his teammates wearing a t-shirt with his image, Di Maria did not leave in anonymity. But would the ambient euphoria of that May evening have been the same without the impact of Mbappé’s extension, which had eased tensions?

Before 2020, Paris knew how to say goodbye to its flagship players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic first. An outing hand in hand with his sons, a change made without a substitute, under the eyes of a somewhat disillusioned Lionel Jaffredo (the match referee): Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not miss his last at the Park, in May 2016 . Prince of Paris, “Ibra”, captain’s armband around his arm, was even treated to the Swedish anthem in the backdrop of an amazed stadium.

PSG will perhaps never again match the grandeur of the farewell given to the Swede. Even before he walked on FC Nantes during the match, masks bearing his image had been distributed in the stands and a tifo had been deployed to celebrate him. A perfect ending for “Zlatan”, who left Paris as he described himself, in “legend”.

Less media-focused, less star-studded, less iconic too, Javier Pastore and Blaise Matuidi are also among those who were entitled to a marked farewell at the Parc des Princes.

Having left in 2018 and 2017 respectively, the two players, favorites of the public in their own way, were not able to say goodbye to the Parisian supporters knowing that they were playing in front of them for the last time. So PSG paid tribute to them later, to allow two players, who still show their love for the club today, to receive a final ovation from their former home.

David Beckham also experienced the ideal epilogue. Coming to Paris for an adventure with a moderate sporting challenge, the former glory of English football said goodbye to the Park in style. Despite his 14 short matches with Paris, the “Spice Boy” experienced one last one at the height of his career, in May 2013. Acclaimed upon his release, then carried in triumph by his teammates, he was also entitled to a tribute video , like Thiago Motta or Maxwell too. A tradition that seems to have crumbled over time.