Frank Leboeuf found out that Kylian Mbappe was the subject of a social media campaign. 1:45
Paris Saint-Germain are facing some controversy and drama after only two weeks in the French league. The second part of "Penaltygate II" is in full swing after the scenes on Saturday evening against Montpellier.
The rule for penalties was set by the new manager, who said that the No. 1 taker was Kylian Mbappe and the No. 2 was Neymar. That's how he understood it, but he wasn't happy with it. He thought about taking priority, but he accepted it during the preseason.
Fast forward to the weekend. The first penalty was given in the 21st minute for Jordan Ferri's handball, and the second was given 20 minutes later. The Brazilian didn't listen when his teammate had a word with him.
Instead, he was dismissed, he kept the ball, and he scored. His face showed that he was unhappy. He was grumpy all game even though he scored a goal and the team won.
According to sources, Mbappe didn't like the way the first penalty was taken. It upset him, though it wasn't the only thing on his mind as some off-field problems in the days leading up to the game also had an affect on his mood.
It wasn't a good night for Mbappe, and he was at the center of the media storm. The choice of Mbappe as the No. 1 penalty taker was criticized by some fans in the hours after the game.
It's been an issue for the club since the arrival of Neymar. There was a small issue in the dressing room that was never resolved by the club or the manager.
It is different and has to be. After the game, Ramos tried to diffuse the tension between the two players by talking to them in the dressing room. Luis Campos made a statement on Sunday. The sporting director reminded the two players of their responsibilities and the need to respect the rules set by the manager. He told them to not let this damage their season.
The risks of taking issues to social media instead of his team were brought to the attention of the player. The world's most expensive player was unhappy with the attitude of Kylian Mbappe during the game, for example, when he stopped running down the left wing just before half-time because he didn't receive the ball.
A strong relationship with the forward allows him to be tough and direct with the young man. After the Montpellier game, if Galtier said that there was nothing wrong in his eyes, he knew that the bad cop would be Campos. On Sunday it proved that way.
Where does this leave the two people? The two superstars were close when they were at the same club. Their relationship has cooled in the last couple of years. There is a problem of egos and status for both of them. According to sources, Mbappe was annoyed by the liberties that Neymar took in terms of his timekeeping and training habits, and he was surprised to hear about the power that the club gave to him as part of his contract extension this summer. The Brazilian returned with a renewed focus for the preseason after he and Paris Saint-Germain talked about a new club.
The Montpellier incident was not a big deal, according to the two players. Neymar explained that he got confused and thought it was his turn to take the second penalty as he was frustrated about off-field issues. In a dressing room full of egos, the two biggest ones have to find common ground. The willingness of both players to make it work will be important for this.
After missing the French Super Cup and the first league game of the season, Kylian Mbappe still has some catching up to do. Every single one of their movements, reactions and words will be analysed on Sunday at Lille.
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