Kylian Mbappe and Neymar’s issues at Paris Saint Germain are not simply because of penalty duties, the fact that Mbappe now has more say than the Brazilian player is said to be a bone of contention.
There are reports that the other players at PSG, such as Neymar and even Lionel Messi, aren’t happy with how much Mbappe has been made the cornerstone of the PSG project, following his contract extension.
Mbappe’s influence over other players in the club has triggered the bone of contention between the two forwards as Neymar accused Mbappé of attempting to ‘force’ PSG into selling him. Neymar thinks PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe has stabbed him in the back, due to Mbappe’s attempt to get him to leave.
The duo has been allies at the Paris Saint Germain ever since Neymar joined the club in the summer transfer window of 2017. But all isn’t well behind the scenes, with the pair involved in an argument during Saturday’s 5-2 win over Montpellier.
PSG were 1-0 up after a Falaye Sacko own goal and a Montpellier handball in the box gave them a chance to extend the gap with a penalty. Kylian Mbappe stepped forward to take the shot but missed the penalty.
Just amidst the first half, Montpellier opened another penalty opportunity to PSG and Mbappe wanted to make amends but it was Neymar who took the ball. The French striker wanted to take the penalty but the Brazilian wasn’t going to make half a gesture to succumb even after Mbappe approached him and attempted to take it.
Kylian Mbappe really had the audacity to ask Neymar to give him the second penalty after he he missed his first one 😐
— LSPN FC (@LSPNFC_) August 14, 2022
pic.twitter.com/DxFML8jxqf
Neymar utilized it well and celebrated after he scored but this didn’t go down well with the French man. Neymar later added further fuel to the fire by ‘liking’ a social media post that criticized Mbappe for trying to take the penalty, despite missing his previous penalty.
However, the rocky relationship between Neymar and Mbappe at PSG wasn’t just because of the tensions that arose from the penalty duties, the relationship deteriorate when Neymar felt betrayed and was ‘stabbed in the back by his team-mate due to Mbappe trying to get him off the club’s roster.
It’s claimed that, back in the summer, Mbappe tried to ‘force’ PSG into selling Neymar after he turned down Real Madrid’s offer to remain in France. Neymar has openly criticized his attacking partner’s trick for what he perceived to be a ‘dirty game’.
Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe was slammed by fans during the match against Montpellier on Saturday for throwing a strop when he inexplicably stopped running during a blistering PSG counter-attack. The moment saw new signing Vitinha decide to pass to Messi instead of Mbappe who reacted by throwing his hands in the air and grinding to a halt. The same Vitinha ignored Mbappe when the French striker asked for the ball during the second penalty but Vitinha retorted to give it to Neymar.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier has, however, pacified the fans, claiming Kylian Mbappe got tired and did not wittingly stop running. He said: “Kylian played his last game three weeks ago so I knew it was going to be tough on a physical level for him.”
He further defended him stating the young lad is working towards regaining his athletic abilities and when he does, he would make a difference.
He said: “He’s a competitor. He wants to be good and he wants to be good quickly, but a top footballer is not on and off like that; it takes a little time to regain 100 percent of his athletic abilities.
“When he’s at 100 percent, he’ll make the difference even more. These are players who like to score, who want to score, who attack. It’s a bit normal for him to be disappointed at being a little short physically compared to his teammates.”
As regards the penalty contest between Neymar and Mbappe, Galtier decided to sit on the fence. The French man said: “For this match, the order was chosen thus. Kylian shot first, so it was logical that Neymar went next. We’ll see in the future.”
On the other hand, PSG star Marco Verratti, however, insisted Mbappe’s sulk was ‘normal’. He said: “With the penalty, he sulked a bit but that’s normal. He’s a great player, he wants to make a difference.
“It’s good when he’s angry, it means he cares about this team.”
To bring serenity back to the club and repair the worn relationship between the duo, the Paris Saint-Germain hierarchy have reportedly called a crisis meeting amid the rising tension between Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
The date for the proposed meeting has not been announced but it is likely to come up this week.
Coach Christophe Galtier and sporting advisor Luis Campos will speak with both forwards at some point this week. They’ll call for calm and ask the players to work together for the good of the team.
Neymar and Mbappe saga started from here😭 pic.twitter.com/ZZMOnwLI9k
— Khellyrich £ (@khellyrich) August 14, 2022
