October 7 – Rarely out of the news, French superstar Kylian Mbappe is facing criticism for skipping Les Bleus’ Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while still being available to play for Real Madrid.
The France captain picked up a muscle injury last month but made a quick recovery and returned for last week’s Champions League against Lille, then started Real’s La Liga game against Villarreal on Saturday.
Two days earlier, however, French coach Didier Deschamps left Mbappe out of his latest squad, saying the 25-year-old lacked preparation, having played too few matches.
“As a captain (Mbappe) must be an example for the fans, and he has not been,” lamented Fabien Bonnet, spokesperson for the Irresistibles Francais, the main France supporters’ group.
To make matters worse Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from international duty having played a record 84 consecutive matches between 2017 and 2024.
“The feeling is that the true captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone,” Bonnet added.
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