MUNICH.- Despite his poor form since the start of Euro 2024, Kylian Mbappé “He will do everything to be at his best,” said France coach Didier Deschamps on Monday, on the eve of the semi-finals against Spain.
“I am convinced that Kylian, in his mind, like all players, is at his best from the start,” the coach insisted.
The leader of the ‘Bleus’ has not “found his form”. He has only scored one goal in the tournament, which was a penalty, he has missed several chances and did not finish the quarter-final match against Portugal (0-0, 5-3 after penalties), in which he asked to be substituted at half-time in extra time.
“He had just played almost 110 minutes, extra time was already a bit difficult for him, so even if it’s Kylian, if he’s not in good shape muscularly and doesn’t have good sensations, it’s no use for him to continue on the pitch,” Deschamps explained.
The coach also recalled the context in which Mbappé began his tournament, in particular “an end of season in which he did not get used to” being a substitute at Paris Saint-Germain.
“He also had a back problem during preparation,” and suffered “the trauma” of a broken nose after the first match, the coach added.
“He’s still here, he has to accept and get used to” the protective mask, “but I’m sure that tomorrow, like the rest of the group, he will give everything to be at his best,” concluded Deschamps.
Spain does not underestimate him:
Spain midfielder Rodri told a news conference on Monday that he “does not trust” France star Kylian Mbappé’s apparent poor form ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final.
“I don’t trust what they say. He’s a player who can make the difference very easily. He has the ability to do damage whether he’s doing well or badly. If he’s on the pitch, he’ll be a threat and we’ll have to be careful,” said the defensive midfielder at a press conference in Munich.
