Is Kylian Mbappé destroying his career?
Is Kylian Mbappé's career going in the right direction? After Paris Saint-Germain's 4-1 defeat against Newcastle in the Champions League, Mbappé faced a barrage of criticisms, especially from French journalist Daniel Riolo.
The RMC journalist was frustrated by the form of the Parisian player, who has not scored in four games and who was ghostly against Newcastle.
To justify this drop in form, Riolo did not hesitate to target the player on his recent nights out and his lifestyle.
"Mbappé, I remember last year his famous words to Neymar; we will have to eat well, sleep well. Mbappé made a moldy preparation following his sidelining, but when we make a preparation which is like that, we work and we go out a little less” he's quoted as saying by Essentially Sports, implying that the attacker goes out a lot more than before.
Riolo (pictured) then explained: "Because where Mbappé is becoming a great leader, he is the leader of the biggest debauchery evenings in Paris at the moment. The evenings that Mbappé is having in Paris and the reputation that he is building throughout Paris (...) he would have to be very careful about things that could land on his face in a short time."
The words of the top journalist were quick to make the rounds in the media and reached the ears of the Real Madrid board.
According to the Spanish media outlet 'SPORT', these statements have "sounded the alarm in Real Madrid, which is looking at the player with concern". An unhealthy lifestyle could dampen 'La Casa Blanca's' desire to recruit Kylian Mbappé at the end of the season.
Mbappé's contract with Paris Saint-Germain will expire in 2024. Expected to join Real Madrid this summer and last year, the player does not wish to extend his contract with Paris and could be in Madrid by next summer.
The night before the 0-0 clash with Clermont on September 30, Mbappé took teammates Hakimi, Dembélé, Kurzawa out in Paris to see Cédric Doumbé's MMA fight. A move that undermined the seriousness of the Parisian players' preparations.
However, several people have come to Mbappé's defense, including Olivier Girault (photo), the national director of the National School Sports Union (UNSS).
The former Olympic handball champion told RMC: "What bothers me is the association between your extra-sporting life and the results. Immediately when he is less efficient, we will look at what's 'outside.'
"If he had scored 4 goals, we wouldn't be asking the question. Criticizing Mbappé, yes, but you have to be sensible. Why would he be judged more than the other players in the championship? It's too easy. We're waiting for a stupid on his part but he's a human being" he concluded.
However, the media outlet also claims that Real would consider that the player's decline in performance would be due to "a lack of motivation". A trend that would surely be reversed in the event of signing in Madrid.