"I spoke to Mbappe's father and he told me he wants to go to the Olympics"

Last Tuesday, the Varietes Club de France, a team made up of influential personalities and former footballers from France and other countries, played a friendly match. Emmanuel Macron shared the pitch with stars such as Eden Hazard, Emmanuel Adebayor and Samuel Eto'o in a day of fun in which he also met Kylian Mbappe's father, who gave him a scoop: his son wants to go to the Olympic Games.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker, whenever he has been asked about it, has always been mysterious. The closest the fans have ever come to an answer was a statement made by their coach, Didier Deschamps, at the 'Bleus' training camp a month ago. The coach took it for granted that his future club, which should be Real Madrid, will not allow Thierry Henry, in charge of the Under-23s, to call him up.

Still, the President of the Republic, in an interview with 'La Tribune' published in its most recent Sunday edition, said: "I met his father on the pitch last week and I asked him. He said: 'He wants to. I really hope that all European clubs give freedom to their players. I'm glad that all the French clubs are doing it and I hope the others will follow. It's the Olympic spirit.

Macron's talk about the future team that will decide whether Mbappe will go to the Olympics should be watched very carefully. The president said he was happy that French clubs are allowing their players to play and wished that this would be the case for the rest, which suggests that he believes that it will not be a French side that the striker will be defending next season. Relatively recently, moreover, they dined together at the Elysee Palace, where he perhaps gave him a preview of a decision that has already been leaked, but which requires his own public word.

 

May 5, 2024