Kylian Mbappe was prepared to QUIT the France national team after the missed penalty that sent Les Bleus crashing out of Euro 2020 saw him face a barrage of criticism, reveals French Football Federation chief
- France exited Euro 2020 at the last-16 after losing on penalties to Switzerland
- Kylian Mbappe missed the decisive effort with his shot saved by Yann Sommer
- It has now been revealed the striker was considering quitting the national team
- According to Noel Le Graet, he felt the FFF did not protect him from the criticism
Kylian Mbappe was prepared to quit the France national team after the barrage of criticism he faced following his penalty miss against Switzerland at Euro 2020, according to Noel Le Graet, the president of the French Football Federation.
Paris Saint-Germain superstar Mbappe saw his decisive spot-kick saved by Yann Sommer in the last-16 shootout, resulting in his country exiting the tournament.
He was quickly vilified on social media by furious fans, leading to some initial suggestions that the 23-year-old would pull himself out of contention for Les Bleus.
Kylian Mbappe was prepared to quit the France team after his decisive Euro 2020 penalty miss
The ace’s spot-kick was saved by Switzerland’s Yann Sommer, sending Les Bleus crashing out
This has now been confirmed by Le Graet after the duo held a brief discussion, but the chief has also insisted that the frustration was only for a fleeting moment.
‘I met with him after the Euros, he felt the Federation had not defended him after his missed penalty and the criticism on the networks,’ he told Le Journal Du Dimanche.
‘We met for five minutes in my office. He was angry, he didn’t want to play for the French team any more – which he obviously didn’t mean.
Noel Le Graet, the French Football Federation president, has admitted Mbappe was ‘angry’
‘You know how it is, he’s a winner, he was very frustrated, like all of us, by the elimination. He’s so media-friendly.
‘He’s a great guy, much more collective than people think.’
Taking to social media after his miss, Mbappe admitted France were ‘incredibly sad’ after they crashed out, and said the skewed shot would keep him up at night.
However, boss Didier Deschamps refused to blame the hotshot, who has scored 27 goals for Les Bleus in his 57 caps to date, despite the chastening setback.
The superstar admitted his costly miss from 12 yards last year would keep him awake at night
In October 2021, Mbappe revealed he was prepared to walk away from contention on the international stage if he was considered to be a ‘problem’ for the side.
‘I have never taken a single euro to play for the French national team and I will always play for my national team for free,’ he said.
‘Above all, I never wanted to be a problem.
‘But from the moment where I felt like that I was starting to become a problem and that people felt I was a problem…
Mbappe previously said he would be prepared to walk away if he was viewed to be a problem
‘I received the message, that my ego was what made us lose, that I wanted to take up too much space, and that without me, therefore, we might have won.
‘The most important thing is the French national team and if the French national team is happier without me, [I’ll go].
‘I met with the president and we talked about it. What I went to complain to him about was that I was insulted and called a ‘monkey’ for missing a penalty.
‘That is not the same thing. I will never complain about a penalty. The penalty, I was the one who missed it.’
