Kylian Mbappé (25) has revealed why he has appraised the recently concluded season, his final one as a Paris Saint-Germain player, as the “best of [his] career” but also why he “won’t settle” for another season like it in 2024/25.
On the face of it, Mbappé had a successful final campaign at the Parc des Princes, netting an impressive 27 goals in the league as PSG won a third consecutive Ligue 1 title. He was also prominent in Les Parisiens’ UEFA Champions League campaign, as well as their triumph in the Coupe de France.
However, there was a chance that Mbappé may not have played any part at all in the club’s collective success this year. After informing PSG of his desire to leave upon the expiry of is contract, he was ostracised last summer and omitted from the pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, even missing the first game of the Ligue 1 season, against FC Lorient.
Speaking in the wake of his move to Real Madrid, Mbappé revealed that he was “violently” told by the club that he would “not step foot on the pitch again” before the intervention of sporting director Luis Campos and manager Luis Enrique, who in the words of Mbappé, “saved [him]”.
Merely playing was considered a success for the Frenchman. “I thought I wouldn’t play. As soon as I set foot onto the itch, it was a successful season. I am more proud of this season when I know what I had to go through to play. And even in terms of performance, it is a bit below my standards but I think it is the best season of my career,” Mbappé told reporters on Wednesday. However, following confirmation of his move to Real Madrid, he added, “Next year, I won’t settle for another season like that.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle