Kylian Mbappe has slammed French FA president Noel Le Graet for his ‘disrespectful’ comments on Zinedine Zidane in the wake of Didier Deschamps’s contract extension.
Deschamps led France to back-to-back World Cup finals in Qatar, but Les Bleus lost on penalties to Argentina, and his contract was set to expire at the end of the calendar year.
The 54-year-future old’s was cast in doubt after France’s heartbreaking World Cup exit, but he has since signed a long-term extension through 2026.
As a result, despite Zidane’s strong interest in the manager’s job, Deschamps will lead Les Bleus in the upcoming Euro 2024 and World Cup 2026 qualifying campaigns.
The former World Cup winner has been out of the game since leaving Real Madrid for the second time in 2021, and he is said to have turned down offers from clubs in the hopes of succeeding Deschamps.
What French FA president Said About Zidane
Zidane was also thought to have been approached by Brazil, who are looking for a replacement for Tite, but Le Graet claims that if the 50-year-old called and ‘didn’t care’ where he ended up, he would not have picked up the phone.
“I don’t care, he can go where he wants. He can go where he wants, in a club or a national team, I hardly believe it as far as he is concerned,” The Mirror quotes Le Graet as saying.
“Zidane was always under the radar. He had a lot of followers; some were waiting for Deschamps to leave. But who can seriously criticise Deschamps? No one can. There have not been many problems. His departure always generates clicks.
“I have never seen Zidane, we’ve never thought of separating ourselves from Didier Deschamps. That doesn’t correspond to anything. Some journalists need to change or invent because they don’t know what to write and prefer to say bad things than good things.
“Frankly, those who condemn in advance have never taken me out. Did Zidane try to contact me? Of course not, I wouldn’t even have picked up the phone. To tell him to look for another club? Make a special program so that you can find a club or a national team.”
See Also: Chelsea Boss Explains Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Absence From Squad
Mbappe Reaction To Le Graet’s Comments On Zidane
Le Graet’s comments irritated Mbappe, who responded on social media with the very next tweet: “Zidane is France, we don’t disrespect the legend like that,” accompanied by a facepalming emoji.
Zidane c’est la France, on manque pas de respect à la légende comme ça… 🤦🏽♂️
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) January 8, 2023
Zidane, who is also said to have turned down the opportunity to become the new manager of the United States, won three Champions League titles in a row at Real Madrid between 2016 and 2018.
The Frenchman also won two La Liga championships, two Club World Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and two Supercopa de Espana crowns. In 2017 and 2018, he was also named the best club coach in the world.
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