The PSG star shared a few minutes with children from the Premiers de Cordée association, of which he has been a sponsor for six years, Wednesday at the Stade de France. A very important moment for one, like the others.
It’s a welcome worthy of a rockstar when Kylian Mbappé makes his appearance alongside his brother Ethan. The star of PSG and the France team played football with the sick children of the association Premiers de cordée, of which he has been a sponsor for six years, to the great joy of the lucky ones, Wednesday at the Stade de France.
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Walkabout, cries, big smiles and stars in their eyes: it was all there. The striker even got into small five-a-side ball games with children of all ages and little brother Ethan, in training at PSG. Parties without forcing for the two footballers, but the essential is elsewhere.
“An endless admiration for these children”
“I came here to be able to have fun and also see Kylian. It’s not every day you see grown-ups like that. Afterwards, it’s still a human, but it’s really unforgettable this moment, you can see who’s having fun and it’s really incredible from him”can’t believe Ishmael, 13, who says he forgot about his illness.
Certain moments of sincerity touched the public: Kylian Mbappé who takes the hand of a child too young to catch the ball or, then, to play football with him in his arms. This is not the first time that the captain of the Blues has participated in this day. And he assures us:The real heroes are them! It’s not hard to play for Paris Saint-Germain and to be captain of the France team. It’s much harder to fight every day against the disease, not to know what future we will have, if we will have a future. That’s why I have endless admiration for these children.”he pleaded with humility.
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“They want to live in the moment”
The Premiers de cordée association, chaired by twice European ice dancing champion Nathalie Péchalat, works to entertain hospitalized children through sport. For twenty years, it has been organizing sporting actions in favor of sick or disabled children. Suffering from severe or milder, physical or mental pathologies, more than 3,000 children were present at the Stade de France to play on inflatable structures scattered around the edge of the Saint-Denis stadium pitch or in the passageways, with sports stars .
“Before even making them happy, it’s really a pleasure for me to see all these little warriors fighting their daily lives. When I see children in certain situations, I’m pained, but I must always smile because they are happy. They want to live in the moment. They don’t want you wasting your time telling him he’s sick. He wants to play with you, so he wants to enjoy. He wants to score a goal, make a two, think he’s a one. player”, also underlined Kylian Mbappé.
For an afternoon like this, children experience intense emotions and returning to everyday life can be difficult. But these moments remain precious, believes Chloé, a guide. “Yes, there is a lot of emotion. It’s a bit of hope. To think that they have met a player like that is just exceptional. And it’s a chance for them too. Because, for once, they are the ones who are the center of attention. After that, they are stronger, they are happier. And then I think they’re boosted there clearly to face whatever’s to come“, she underlines.
Émilie Gomis for basketball, Thierry Omeyer for handball or Priscilla Gneto for judo also provided entertainment. But we have to admit that the most magical moment was for “Kylian“, as the children scream.
Report by Jean-Pierre Blimo
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