The Real Madrid striker opened up in an exclusive interview on French television.
Why is Mbappe speaking now? It's a good and undoubtedly fair question: the French superstar has just made the move to the biggest club in the world and the pressure cooker never whistles.
If he had already scored 30 goals, he could have scored 35, that's how things work in the Spanish capital. Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, even Alfredo Di Stéfano, they were all booed at the Bernabéu, it's a tough place to live and a tougher place to thrive.
“The problem with being a star,” Mbappé said in a trailer for CANAL+ journalist Moloud Achour's exclusive interview, “is that people speak for you. Things come out every day even though I haven't spoken to anyone. That's why I'm talking to you today. At some point you have to speak. You need people who understand you.”
What did Mbappé say in the interview with French television?
The interview started with Mbappé talking about life in Madrid: “I'm very happy. I am starting a new phase in my life. It is my first experience abroad. I discover a beautiful country, with hospitable people. It is a great country,” he said.
When asked how his personality deals with criticism as a footballer, Mbappé was as honest as suggested: “I am described as very mature… Sometimes I send messages without having to say anything and sometimes I send messages despite myself. People see us as robots. There is a robot circle that wants that. If you go beyond that… We are people like everyone else.”
As for his future at Real Madrid, the Frenchman stuck to a line used by many footballers: I never know what will happen. My life is a river of unknowns.”
Sticking to difficult topics, a question came about the incident reported in Sweden, when Mbappé was on holiday: “I was surprised. It always surprises me. These are things that happen that you don't see coming. I didn't get anything, no summons. I read the same as everyone else. The Swedish government has said nothing. I don't worry about it. It's just a lack of understanding because I've never worried about the noise. I've always had the same intention: to focus on my work and see how it turns out. If I'm called, I'll go.
“It wasn't even an afternoon [on holiday]. I had five days off, I decided to go. I had to go somewhere else, but the coach told me to go to a less vulnerable place. Everything is going well, I'm calm.”
“Since I was 14, everyone told me I was going to be big,” he said when asked about his life as a famous face, “but when you grow up, sometimes you feel small. The football audience is very versatile. It's sometimes good… but sometimes not so good.”
More to come, refresh the page for the latest updates…
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