Didier Deschamps responds to Kylian Mbappé controversy | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé’s (25) absence from Didier Deschamps’ most recent France squad certainly raised a few eyebrows. The France captain has only just recovered from an injury and was only fit enough to come off the bench as Real Madrid lost 1-0 to Lille OSC in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.

In the wake of that cameo, Deschamps announced his squad, with an important omission – Mbappé. Deschamps said that the decision was taken in conjunction with the former Paris Saint-Germain forward and his club, Real Madrid. However, he added that he does not doubt his captain’s “commitment” to Les Bleus.

Whilst he doesn’t doubt his commitment, others have. Mbappé has been heavily criticised in the national media and also by the main France supporters group, Irresistibles Français, who said that the nature of his omission was “not normal, as a captain”.

What has grated has been that Mbappé’s omission came after he started in Real Madrid’s final La Liga fixture before the international break, against Villarreal. That start undermines the justification for Mbappé’s absence in the France squad, which is that the former PSG forward needed time to recover.

Deschamps understands Real Madrid’s Mbappé stance

In an interview, posted on the FFF’s YouTube, Deschamps reacted to the controversy. “Me, I ensure that, in my relationship with the players, I talk with them. Of course, the most important thing for me is the player’s interest. I know full well that he won’t go against his club. He also doesn’t want to go against his national team. But at some point, after a discussion, you have to privilege the player’s interest without making things difficult for him,” he said.

Deschamps, who managed Olympique de Marseille before becoming manager of Les Bleus added that he understands Real Madrid’s position. “I am not here to take risks. I was a club manager and when you’re at a club, and you think that there is a risk, you can still play players,” he said.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle