The relationship between star Kylian Mbappe and PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reached an irreconcilable point when the split became more apparent last weekend, before the match against Toulouse.
The relationship between the Frenchman and the club’s owner became increasingly tense and it was no surprise that things eventually exploded. Since star Mbappe informed his President of his decision to leave Paris this summer, the two have almost stopped talking to each other.
Manchester United players did not actively pass the ball to Hojlund as they only looked to him as a last option in attacking situations and this left the Danish star isolated.
This coldness was exposed last week, when in the video announcing his departure, the Les Bleus captain thanked many people (coaches, sporting directors, managers , fans) that There was no mention of the President or co-owners of the Qatar club. This is considered an insult to Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who gave him the most expensive football contract in history in 2022.
The conflict broke out on Sunday night. In the desire to clarify the fact that it was not mentioned in the video, President Al-Khelaifi requested a meeting between the parties. Finally, the meeting took place right at Parc des Princes, just over an hour before the match with Toulouse. Al-Khelaifi and Mbappe entered a private room, away from the eyes and ears of outsiders.
The conversation quickly became tense. “The whole wall shook as neither side gave in. Mbappe seemed to want to destroy PSG” – a witness said about the seemingly fierce scene. The consequence of this was delaying the players’ warm-up time, causing them to step onto the field 4 minutes later than usual.
As if to “heal”, Mbappe still promptly went around the field to thank the fans who were welcoming him at the corner of the field. That is almost the only direct tribute from Mbappe, the top scorer in the club’s history .
At the end of the match, the club did not prepare anything for a farewell ceremony for Mbappe, making him also feel surprised after officially announcing his departure. Those who understand the story all think that the club owners do not want to honor a star who is about to leave, with the arrogant attitude of choosing not to say anything to their leaders.
In a statement sent to many media on the evening of May 13, PSG denied the existence of a conflict between Mbappe and President Al-Khelaifi, and confirmed that a meeting took place before match to “finalize terms of departure at the end of the season”.
However, many newspapers have reaffirmed that their exchange was thorny and that the relationship between Mbappe and Khelaifi has become tense since February 9. On that day, Kylian Mbappe informed the Club President of his intention not to renew his contract with PSG and that he would leave on a free transfer at the end of the season. Mbappe has not said his destination, but the press reports that the French star will land at Real Madrid.
Before this meeting, they seemed to have returned to normal after a summer marked by Mbappe’s exclusion from the squad preparing for the tour of Japan . After that, coach Enrique, perhaps following the instructions of his superiors, repeatedly put Mbappe on the bench, did not let him play, or replaced the French star early. These are moves that show that PSG is ready for life without Mbappe.