KYLIAN MBAPPE’S RECENT PERFORMANCE FOR THE FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM HAS COME UNDER SCRUTINY FROM HOME. LEGENDARY FRENCH DEFENDER BIXENTE LIZARAZU HAS COMMENTED ON MBAPPE’S STRUGGLES, SUGGESTING THAT THE LES BLEUS CAPTAIN IS NO LONGER AS MENACING AS HE ONCE WAS.
MBAPPE COMPLETED HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED MOVE TO REAL MADRID THIS SUMMER. ALTHOUGH HE SCORED IN THE SUPER CUP VICTORY, IT TOOK HIM FOUR LA LIGA GAMES TO FIND THE BACK OF THE NET IN THE SPANISH TOP FLIGHT.
MORE CONCERNING IS HIS FORM FOR THE FRENCH NATIONAL TEAM. DESPITE LEADING DIDIER DESCHAMPS’S SIDE TO EURO 2024 IN GERMANY—HIS FIRST TOURNAMENT AS CAPTAIN—MBAPPE ONLY MANAGED ONE GOAL, A PENALTY AGAINST POLAND IN THE GROUP STAGE.
HIS UNDERWHELMING PERFORMANCE CARRIED OVER INTO RECENT MATCHES, INCLUDING A 3-1 DEFEAT TO ITALY.
IN HIS COLUMN FOR L’Equipe, LIZARAZU ADDRESSED THE CRITICISM MBAPPE HAS FACED, SAYING, “YOU CAN’T BE INSENSITIVE TO THE FEELINGS OF THE FRENCH TEAM’S SUPPORTERS, TO THE FRUSTRATIONS THEY MAY HAVE, TO THE QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE. YOU HAVE TO TRY TO ANSWER THEM, GIVE THEM HOPE; IT’S PART OF THE JOB AND THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION YOU HAVE TO HAVE WITH YOUR FANS.”
LIZARAZU CONTINUED, “PERHAPS HE IS LESS SERENE THAN USUAL, MORE TENSE BECAUSE HE IS SLOW TO FIND THE BEST FOOTBALLING VERSION OF HIMSELF. MBAPPE IS NO LONGER AS EXPLOSIVE OR DECISIVE AS HE WAS. HE REMAINS A VERY GOOD SCORER, A VERY GOOD PLAYER OF COURSE, BUT HE IS NO LONGER SCARY AS BEFORE.”