It doesn’t seem like calm days for the France team. In recent days, several versions have circulated that the tension in the locker room of the team that leads Didier Deschamps is at its peak. To the speculations about how the differences between the team and the leaders were resolved due to the reduction in bonuses for the World Cup, and the discrepancies over the use of the players’ images, was added the disagreement between Kylian Mbappé and N’Golo Kantéprior to the friendly match they played against Ivory Coast. The episode, spread mainly on social networks, amplified the versions about the dense atmosphere of the French team.
The scene occurred before the European team’s 2-1 defeat. During the broadcast of French Television 1 (TF1), while one of the reporters was talking about the preview of the game, the cameras captured the moment in which Kanté say hello to Aurelien Tchouameni, Ibrahima Konaté and Bad Tasteslaps the goalkeeper on the back Mike Maignanbut when he reaches the height of the France captain he simply passes by without even looking at him and you notice that Mbappé also avoids him.
Versions immediately began to circulate about what could have triggered this reaction from the two footballers. In this context, many social media users and analysts in different French media associated the sequence with another episode that also sparked another controversy a few weeks ago among Les Blues fans. During a friendly against Colombia, The cameras recorded Mbappé, who entered the field for the last ten minutes and, gesturing to Rayan Cherki to ask N’Golo Kanté for the captain’s armband so he could use it himself.
In this scenario of conflicting versions and speculations, a series of alleged statements of Thierry Henry in which he criticized Mbappé and highlighted Kanté’s humility. Faced with this situation, the former French forward was forced to publish a video on his Instagram account to deny these publications and said: “I’m in Los Angeles, preparing for the World Cup. I didn’t talk about Kylian Mbappé, I don’t even know what happened. People love to make up stories. I wish you the best, Kylian, and let’s go France!”.
It is a moment of many tensions in the universe of the French team, so much so that as has emerged in recent days, lhe use of images of some footballers in promotional campaigns linked to certain sponsors reopened a discussion that seemed to have been left behind and that, years ago, he had already confronted Mbappé with the Federation authorities.
According to publications by the French media L’Equipe, The captain of the French national team and several teammates were upset by the use of their figure to promote a betting house. The brand had published an image of Mbappé, Olise, Cherki, Dembélé and Doué before the friendly they played against Ivory Coast.
The controversy also appeared at a delicate moment, because in the previous days differences had already arisen between the players and the Federation over the distribution of tickets for family and friends during the World Cup. a conflict that generated unrest within the concentration and forced them to open channels of dialogue to try to avoid an escalation. The Federation had informed them that it could grant them 2 tickets per player and enabled them to purchase 6 more, but that they had no more availability.
Faced with this scenario, all eyes will once again be focused on the France squad this Monday in the friendly match against Northern Ireland, at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy stadium, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq. Without a doubt everything will develop in a turbulent environment days of France’s debut in the World Cupwhich is scheduled for next Tuesday, June 16 against Senegal, at MetLife Stadium.
