Kylian Mbappe has frowned on the comments by France Football President Noel De Le Graet on Zinedine Zidane.
Another major crisis may be looming in France national team after Noel De Le Graet’s incendiary breath on France football legend Zinedine Zidane.
Zinedine Zidane is a football icon flushed with success both as a player and a manager and is held in high esteem by French Football fans. However, it appears Noel De Le Graet is not sharing same sentiment, and decided to be candid with his stand on the former Real Madrid manager.
De Le Graet sparked a boiling row when he made a disrespectful remark about Zinedine Zidane, prompting Kylian Mbappe , including the French minster of sport to tear into the 81-year-old.
What Did Noel De La Graet say about Zidane?
In a controversial interview with a French media outlet RMC, La Graet was asked of rumours linking Zinedine Zidane to Brazil’s vacant job after the resignation of Tite. The French Football executive did not mince words, pouring out his mind of what he thought of the former Real Madrid manager.
He gave a somewhat disrespectful reply. He said he will be surprised if Zinedine Zidane took the Brazil job, and added whatever is Zidane’s choice is of no concern to him, and he was not discontinuing France’s deal with Didier Deschamps.
“I’d be surprised if he went there”, he said. “But he can do what he likes, it doesn’t concern me. I’ve never met with him (Zidane), and we (the FFF) never considered parting ways with Didier.”
La Graet also added if Zidane would have contacted him for the France national team job, he would not have picked up the phone.
“Would it upset me that (Zidane) went there? I couldn’t care less”, he said. “He can go where he likes, to a big team, a national team … Did Zidane try to contact me? Certainly not, I wouldn’t even have picked up the phone.”
Kylian Mbappe, others tear into De Le Graet for disrespecting Zinedine Zidane
Noel De Le Graet cracked and rattled nerves with his comment on Zinedine Zidane. Leading the haul of critics of De Le Graet’s comment is PSG and France forward Kylian Mbappe.
Kylian Mbappe frowned at what he referred to as a “disrespect” of the football legend.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Kylian Mbappe wrote “Zidane is France, you don’t disrespect a legend like that”.
France sports minister asks Noel De La Graet to withdraw horrendous remarks on Zidane
France sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who reportedly has tense relations with Le Graët, also criticised De La Graet’s comments on Zidane.
Amelia took to her Twitter handle to ask Le Graët to tender an apology to Zinedine Zidane after the disrespectful comments.
“A shameful lack of respect, which hurts us all, toward a legend of our sport,” Oudéa-Castéra wrote on Twitter.
“A president’ of the top sporting federation in France should not say that. Apologies, please, for going too far on Zidane.”
Background of Noel De La Graet’s and Zinedine Zidane row
Noel De La Graet recently championed the extension of Didier Deschamps contract as France national team manager after he led Les Bleus to the 2022 World Cup final.
Didier Deschamps will now take charge of Les Bleus and lead the team to the 2026 World Cup in USA, Mexico, and Canada.
While he pioneered the extension of Didier Deschamps’ contract, Zinedine Zidane was also tipped to take over the role from Didier. However, the former Real Madrid manager was out-of-favor with Noel, and was equally linked to the Brazil vacant job.
Zinedine Zidane was a formidable competitor and was tipped by some sections of the French Football actors to succeed Didier.
Despite having the sympathies of some French football fans, Zidane was never Noel De La Graet’s choice, and the relationship between the two have suffered setbacks.
Zidane is one of France’s football heroes and a footballer with a huge following by French fans and players.
He led France to 1998 World Cup glory and Euros 2000. At Real Madrid, Zinedine won three Champions League trophy as a manager, including the La Liga.
