France’s senior national team manager, Didier Deschamps, has voiced disapproval of what he perceives as Real Madrid’s “outdated” stance regarding their French players potentially missing the Paris 2024 Olympics, notably Kylian Mbappe.
Although Mbappe’s transfer to the Spanish capital has not been officially confirmed, it is widely anticipated following his decision not to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain beyond its expiration on June 30, as reported by The Athletic.
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MARCA swiftly reported Mbappe’s purported signing of a five-year deal with Madrid, although the club has yet to confirm this.
Nevertheless, even before Mbappe’s potential transfer to Los Blancos, conflicts between club and country involving the forward have begun to surface.
Reports from Le Parisien indicate France U-23 coach Thierry Henry’s desire for an overage trio, including Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier, to participate in the Olympics.
Madrid’s reluctance to release its French players, including Mbappe, for the tournament has been interpreted as a “warning” to the club by L’Equipe.
Madrid’s rationale for withholding players stems from concerns over injury risks, particularly with major competitions like the Euros also scheduled for the summer.
Mbappe has expressed his desire to participate in the Olympics but conceded in an interview with GQ that he won’t contest his club’s decision.
He emphasized a willingness to avoid confrontation, stating:
“I have reached a point in my life and career where I no longer want to force things.”
“If they let me do them, I would go with great pleasure. But if it is not possible, I would understand. For any athlete, the Olympics have a special place and I already wanted to go to Tokyo because I want to win everything and write my name in the history of the French team as that of a player who mattered,” Mbappe added.
Despite the U-23 side not falling under his direct purview, Deschamps felt compelled to weigh in on the issue during a week dominated by international football fixtures.
“You can ask that to Thierry Henry,” Deschamps said, before going on to address the topic anyway.
Deschamps said he’d “known for a long time” that Madrid had sent an e-mail clarifying its stance, which he called “a bit old-fashioned”.
In any event, though, he accepts this because ultimately “it is the employer who decides”.
“As long as it’s not a FIFA date, if it’s no, it’s no,” the 1998 and 2018 World Cup winner as a player and manager concluded, which is ultimately the sticking point here.
