The captain of the Blues spoke on the eve of France-Belgium, Monday (6 p.m.), in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.
If he thought his Euro was over after his broken nose : “At the time, I didn’t think about much, I didn’t know what was happening to me. I didn’t feel that my nose was broken. It was more when I saw the goalkeeper’s face that I said to myself that it wasn’t right. I saw myself going home. After the match, I saw myself in the mirror, it was a bad idea (smile). It was difficult, I had a lot of meetings, two days without sleeping, it was complicated. I didn’t play against the Netherlands, it’s difficult to stay on the bench doing nothing and not helping my teammates. Thank God, I was able to play again against Poland.”
Inefficiency and the 4-4-2 announced for Monday : “Why don’t we score? Because we don’t take advantage of the opportunities we create. We have opportunities, we don’t take them. From my experience, it must not stay in the heads of the guys. The most important thing is to create opportunities. No one showed up in front of the opposing goalkeeper thinking they were going to miss. It’s another competition, sudden death, we’ll have to take chances but I’m sure we’ll create chances and score. The 4-4-2? I don’t know, you have to ask the coach. In 3-5-2, 4-4-2, I don’t know what the coach has prepared for us.”
The fact of not finishing first woke up a lot of people, there was an awareness.
Kylian Mbappé
Great player in poor form during this Euro : “We hope that the French will wake up. That’s all we hope for. We must not make excuses. We were not in a high-level group stage. We are qualified, we can go to the quarter-finals, we have to raise our level of play against a good team. We no longer have a choice, otherwise we go home. The fact of not finishing first woke up a lot of people, there was an awareness.”
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Contact with Lewandowski and possible contacts against Belgium : “It’s a possibility. When you play with a broken nose, when you haven’t had an operation, you become a target but I don’t think he did it on purpose. The reaction was instinctive in relation to the pain. We’ll have to control ourselves in the future because the children are watching… It’s not a new situation, so no surprises, I knew what I was getting into. I’m ready to give everything so that France qualifies. My nose isn’t going to break any more, it already is…”
His view on the ballot : “It’s up to you, if you don’t ask any questions, I can go and see what happens afterwards. We’ll wait for the estimates. As soon as it’s over (the press conference), I’ll plug in and watch. After that, there will be the 7th (second round).”
It’s another competition, there is no choice otherwise it’s home and vacation
Kylian Mbappé
Pression : “Every time we didn’t wake up, we were at home. It’s another competition, there is no choice otherwise it’s home and vacation. We are ready, we know what we are getting into, it will be difficult but we have the group, the staff to take on this kind of challenge.
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The level of Belgium : “They lost against Slovakia, it was a first group match. We did not beat the Netherlands and Poland. It’s a good team that lost important players, but with young players who are hungry. They’re a real threat, they have great players and we can’t wait to face them. Previous ones, including 2018? When you win, you forget more easily. Not them, obviously. It is valid to get people talking beforehand, but on the ground, it will have no impact.”
Also read: Euro 2024: Nations League 2021, World Cup 1986 and 2018…The most notable France-Belgium matches
The Real Madrid Whatsapp group and Thibaut Courtois : “I’m not yet in the Real squad, it shouldn’t be long. I haven’t spoken with Courtois. It’s just as well he’s not here, with him it would have been harder.”
I’m not vaccinated against heads, but I haven’t had one since I had a broken nose
Kylian Mbappé
Heads : “Goals, I always want to score them. But the most important thing is that the team scores them. I am not vaccinated against headers, but I have not scored one since I broke my nose (laughs). If I have to score one, I will, because my nose is already broken. We have no doubts. We know we have chances and we will have to score them.”
The mask ? “An absolute horror” for the captain of the Blues. Leon Kuegeler / REUTERS
Masks : “I didn’t think so but it’s absolute horror. I changed because there was always something wrong. It was complicated, it limits vision, the sweat is blocked, I had the impression that I was in 3D and invited to the Euro in VIP, I will take it off as soon as I can. No choice. It’s annoying. I changed my mask five times. And even more… My competition will be with that and that won’t be an excuse, I have to say thank you to the mask.”
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The absence of a press release from the Blues on the legislative elections : “There were quite a few elements which delayed and interfered with all of this. My injury, and the results didn’t help. We’re going to have to do something.”
Marcus Thuram : “It’s not up to him to adapt to me, I have to adapt to the players I play with and put the attackers in the best position. I can play anywhere and with anyone. Marcus and I have known each other for a long time. He has a new style and profile with Inter Milan. It’s up to me to adapt to what he does so that he feels comfortable helping the team.”
His physical and mental fitness before Belgium : “I feel good mentally, as I said before the Euro. I am in a good frame of mind physically, with my nose injury, the competition did not start as I wanted. I want to win with the selection. I came for that.”
Samuel Umtiti and his goal against Belgium in 2018 : “Everyone knew he was playing injured. Thanks to him we made it to the final, we remember his goal but also the content of his matches. Thank you for everything you have done. We have to thank him for the title of world champion. He had difficult times after the World Cup, I know all the sacrifices he made for the France team.
I think every player evolves, I have evolved and changed
Kylian Mbappé
Less explosiveness in him : “I think every player evolves, I have evolved and changed. I have prepared my body to play much fuller seasons. With Real Madrid we will potentially play 7 competitions. When you win somewhere, you lose somewhere else. It’s all these calculations that have to be made. I am still very young. But next season, I will have time to do a big preparation with Real Madrid and perform well all season.”
Comments collected at a press conference
