Kylian Mbappe says that without the intervention of the Paris Saint-Germain head coach Luis Enrique and the club’s football advisor Luis Campos, he would not have played for the Ligue 1 champions last season.
Mbappe, whose move to Real Madrid on a free transfer from PSG was confirmed on Monday, had been put up for sale and forced to train separately from his team-mates last summer following a contract standoff over his future.
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The 25-year-old forward said Luis Enrique and Campos stepped in to “save him” and allowed him to play a part in PSG’s season.
Speaking at a France press conference, Mbappe said: “I was told (that I won’t be playing for PSG), it was made clear to me, I was told through the media, it was told to my face. It was very clear. I was spoken to violently, I was told. So it was clear to me that I wasn’t going to play.
“Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. Without them, I’d never have set foot on the pitch. That’s the strict truth, and that’s why I’ve always been so grateful to the coach and the sporting director.
“I hear all the criticism because I think I’m the best person to analyse my performances, so I have no problem letting my guard down here and saying that maybe it was a bit lower than my standards.
“But compared to everything I’ve experienced, just playing, repeating matches and winning trophies has been my greatest source of pride. But it’s certain that next year, I won’t be content with a year like this.”
Mbappe signed a new contract with PSG in the summer of 2022 after coming close to a move to Madrid. The deal ran until 2024 and included an option to extend for a further year.
He informed PSG last June that he would not be exercising the option to extend — but intended to stay for this coming season. PSG had been determined not to allow Mbappe to depart the club for free, following long-standing interest from Madrid.
This resulted in PSG sending a three-page letter to the France international in July accusing him of unsettling the club and giving him a deadline to make a decision on his future.
Mbappe subsequently returned to first-team training in August following talks with the club, and made 48 appearances in all competitions during the 2023-24 season, scoring 44 goals and providing 10 assists as PSG won the Ligue 1 title.
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He departs the club as their all-time top scorer with 256 goals in 308 appearances.
The Athletic has contacted PSG for comment.
Mbappe opened Tuesday’s press conference by addressing his move to Madrid, having signed a five-year deal with the Spanish champions.
“I am very, very happy, liberated and relieved and extremely proud to be able to arrive at this club where I have always dreamed of being,” he said. “So a big thank you. I am very excited about arriving at this very big club, the best in the world.
“I arrive with great humility and I would like to thank all the people who sent me messages and all those who contributed directly or indirectly to this operation, which was more than complex. I thank everyone at Real Madrid, especially president Florentino Perez, who has always had confidence in me since day one.”
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The full inside story of Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid transfer
(Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)