Paris Saint-Germain played AS Monaco to a scoreless draw on Friday at the Stade Louis II. However, the story of the contest is what transpired outside the pitch, leading to drama. PSG coach Luis Enrique decided to replace Kylian Mbappé for the second game in a row.
Nonetheless, rather than heading to the bench with his teammates, the player went to the stands with his mother. The television cameras caught the 25-year-old on the phone, and a journalist shared a clip of Mbappé as he took the time to greet the public and even take a selfie.
French football journalist Walid Acherchour shared his thoughts on the matter. He notes his confusion over Mbappé wanting to have a quiet rest of the season after reports announced that he intends to leave as a free agent for Real Madrid.
“[Mbappé] really thought he was going to have a quiet season after making his decision?” Acherchour tweeted on X, formerly Twitter. “That the context, club, media, coach, results, and individual performance wouldn’t be affected? How could a guy of his stature overlook that? Or does he not care about that? That’s another story.
“And so with all the decisions he has made. Are we going to absolve Mbappé of this situation again? And say, ‘Yes, but it’s because PSG mismanaged it?’ Yes, but you have to understand him. We have to stop at some point. The cup overflows there.”
Et donc avec toutes les décisions qu’il a prise. On va encore dédouaner Mbappé de cette situation ? Et dire oui mais c’est parce que c’est le PSG qui a mal géré ? Oui mais faut le comprendre. Faut arrêter a un moment. Le vase déborde là.
— 𝚆𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚍 𝙰𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛 (@walidacherchour) March 1, 2024
This momentum isn’t ideal as the team prepares for the second leg against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. It remains to be seen if Enrique will rely on the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner for this crucial match.
