The scene quickly made the rounds on social networks. Toulouse FC has barely lost in the last minutes of its Europa League match against Benfica (2-1), Thursday February 15, when Violets defender Moussa Diarra is invited by Canal to position himself on the news burning news of the day: the departure of Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the end of his contract at the end of the season.
The answer is frank, tinged with incomprehension. “I don’t know what to think about it, I’m playing in Toulouse. I play against Benfica and people talk to me about PSG. It’s not that I don’t care (…), but I have other problems, rather than managing Mbappé’s career. » The freshness of the exchange did not prevent the question from spreading like wildfire on the sidelines of the 22nd day of the French championship this weekend.
First concerned by the situation, Luis Enrique kicked into touch. “I am the coach, when the parties have spoken, I will give you my opinion”, simply declared the Spanish technician, who placed his number 7 on the bench at the kick-off of the match against Nantes , Saturday evening (2-0). Not to punish him for his decision, just to put him to rest for the club’s upcoming events.
This meeting at La Beaujoire had all the beginnings of a farewell tour to Ligue 1 for the captain of the Blues – the next destination of which is unknown. And some of its actors are moved by it, more than three months before the end of the season. “The fact that he is leaving is a real shame,” said Montpellier Arnaud Nordin, a childhood friend of the Bondynois. He is someone who has already left his mark on French football and Ligue 1.”
Same story with Moussa Sissoko, Nantes midfielder and former teammate of the striker in the national team. The potential departure abroad of one of the planet’s leading footballers “will hurt a lot of people”, but “it’s his decision, we have to accept it”.
“The world is not going to collapse.”
In the midst of renegotiation of television rights for the French championship for the period 2024-2029, the announcement of February 15 is likely to shake the governing bodies of French football. “Undeniably, when one of the three or four best players in the world leaves Ligue 1, it’s not the best thing,” admitted Will Still, Reims coach.
Reluctant to comment on the career choices of the Parisian number 7, Lille coach Paulo Fonseca preferred to minimize the impact of this loss. “We still have a lot of quality to continue having one of the best championships in Europe. The world is not going to collapse because Kylian Mbappé leaves for Madrid or another club. »
In fact, for certain players in the championship, this will help to rebalance the state of forces present at the start of the season, without profoundly changing the landscape of Ligue 1.
Proof if any were needed that not everyone’s stomach is knotted by this announcement, LOSC midfielder Nabil Bentaleb recalled pragmatically: “He’s a very good player, after all he’s not one of my teammates So it won’t change much for me. » The Brest coach, Eric Roy, for his part, gave a laconic “I don’t have much to say about it and it really doesn’t interest me much”, more focused on the his team’s match against Marseille on Sunday evening. He has not forgotten that Ligue 1 continues.
When taking stock of this strange weekend, it would seem that the best time to broach the subject is after a victory. Friday evening, Pierre Sage, who had just beaten Nice with Lyon (1-0), assured that he understood Kylian Mbappé’s decision: “It is in the continuity of his career, he looked at the issue in Paris. » Before using humor: “If he could leave before our match, I wouldn’t say no. ” Missed ! The striker still has twelve Ligue 1 matches to play with the capital club before the end of the 2023-2024 financial year. So many opportunities, to the great dismay of some, to once again talk about his departure and its consequences.
