Kylian Mbappé’s last appearance on a football field was two weeks ago. The Frenchman played 71 minutes against Villarreal, during the 9my day of the Spanish championship (2-0 victory for Real Madrid). And, as usually happens since his arrival in Madrid this summer, he produced a neutral performance, marked by significant technical waste. The French international forward will want to improve on Saturday, October 19, when he should return to the pitch in La Liga against Celta Vigo (9:00 p.m.) after an eventful break.
The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star knows, his game will be even more scrutinized than usual. Since his visit to Stockholm last week, during the days of rest granted by his club during the international break – and while the French team, whose call-up he had refused to recover, was playing in the Nations League -, Kylian Mbappé saw his name mentioned by the Swedish press in a rape case. Although the Scandinavian country’s prosecutor’s office confirmed that the police received a rape complaint and that an investigation is underway, it did not mention the name of the Real Madrid forward in this case.
On Tuesday, the player’s lawyer, M.my Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, announced on TF1 her intention to file a complaint for “slanderous complaint (…)because it is impossible to allow yourself to be slandered and defamed in that way.” The captain of the French team is, according to her, “with absolute serenity because he has absolutely nothing to reproach himself.” A few hours after the publication of his name in several Swedish tabloids, the French footballer reacted on the social network “fake news”.
In Spain, the media focuses little on the “Mbappé matter”
For the moment, the excitement in France does not seem to worry the man from Bondy (Seine-Saint-Denis). “Since Mbappé returned to training he is, as always, very smiling with his teammates. says Guillaume Pomade, journalist of the real newspaper, Regular at the Madrid club sessions. For him it seems that nothing has changed. »
In the Iberian Peninsula, the media focuses much less on the “Mbappé affair” than in France, which allows the player to concentrate on the athlete and the upcoming events: after the match against Cela Vigo, Real Madrid will face to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday 22 October, then Barcelona for the Clásico on Saturday 26 October. “In Spain the media loves controversy. But on a topic as serious as this they prefer to have some perspective to talk about it, continues Guillaume Pomade. [Le quotidien sportif] brand for example, he mentioned it briefly, but it didn’t appear on the cover. It must also be remembered that here Kylian Mbappé is not the national star that he is in France. »
The Real Madrid coach also assured that the French forward returns fresh from the sabbatical year, both physically and mentally. “At the moment this is just speculation. He works very well, he is happy and I don’t feel affected at all, he is very enthusiastic.” declared Carlo Ancelotti on Friday at a press conference. “Mbappé took advantage of this break to improve his physical condition, to recover from his injuries. “He is very well, he is happy and eager to play an important role for the team.” added the Italian coach. On your trip to Sweden? “These rest days were planned for him, and then I think everyone chooses what they want to do. I don’t care where players prefer to rest. »
Pending the progress of the investigation in Stockholm – to determine whether or not he is involved in the matter – Kylian Mbappé will return to the pitch. It is expected that on Saturday he will establish himself at the forefront of the merengue attack.
