French football journalist Daniel Riolo has claimed that the omission of Kylian Mbappé from the France national team squad by coach Didier Deschamps is a form of punishment.
According to Riolo, Deschamps decided to exclude the Real Madrid forward from the squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Italy as a sanction.
This decision comes amid reports that Mbappé was seen partying in Sweden during the previous international break, despite being left out of the squad due to an injury.
Riolo stated, "Deschamps had made a 'good and fair' decision regarding Mbappé: 'He doesn’t accept it because last time he did it the other way around. It’s a punishment, it’s a sanction! He doesn’t say it because he doesn’t want to make it clear and break the relationship too much.'"
The journalist emphasized that Deschamps' decision was justified, especially after Mbappé's actions during the last break, which reportedly made the coach look foolish when the player started for Real Madrid shortly after being declared injured.
Despite being fully fit and available, Mbappé, who has been struggling with form since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, was not called up for the November international break.
Deschamps confirmed that this exclusion was a decision for this block of matches only, stating, "Kylian wanted to come. It's not because of any other problem." However, the absence of one of France's star players, who has scored 48 goals in 86 appearances for Les Bleus, remains a major talking point.
Comments