Superstar Kylian Mbappé will not play any more international matches for runners-up France this year. This time, national coach Didier Deschamps is making the decision alone.
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- As in October, Kylian Mbappé is not in the French national team squad for the Nations League matches against Israel and Italy.
- However, Didier Deschamps explains that the fuss surrounding the 25-year-old off the pitch is not the reason for his non-nomination. "I had talks with him and made this decision," said France's national team coach.
France's national football coach Didier Deschamps has surprisingly decided not to call up superstar Kylian Mbappé for the final Nations League group stage. "I've had talks with him and made this decision, it's better this way," said Deschamps when announcing the squad for the games against Israel on November 14 and the top clash with Italy three days later.
The Real Madrid striker, who had been suffering from an injury, had already been left out of the two previous international matches for the Équipe Tricolore in October against Israel (4-1) and Belgium (2-1), although he had already returned to action for Real at the time. In consultation with Deschamps and Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, Mbappé (25) preferred to train in Madrid.
Deschamps: No reason for turmoil off the pitch
During this time, however, the France captain had also traveled to Stockholm privately. In mid-October, media reports about a rape investigation in Sweden became public, against which Mbappé defended himself. "He knows that he has absolutely nothing to reproach himself with," his lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard told TF1. He announced that he would press charges for defamation or the submission of a fabricated offense. "Kylian wanted to come, it's not because of extra-sporting problems," Deschamps confirmed.