Kylian Mbappé: the symbol of malaise amid France’s generational shift
Les Bleus’ captain has borne the brunt of the French public’s wrath and his current absence isn’t without controversy
By Luke Entwistle for Get French Football News
In a year of sporting highs in l’Héxagone, the France national team has not been one of them, despite a run to the semi-final of this summer’s Euros. The likes of Léon Marchand and Teddy Riner were a symbol of a joyous summer of sport during the Olympic Games in Paris. In contrast, Les Bleus have stuttered and stumbled from one mini-crisis to another throughout the year, engendering a kind of malaise – even disgruntlement – of which Kylian Mbappé has become the symbol.
As captain, Mbappé is the face of a side that has flattered to deceive. As early as March, there were “warning signs” according to Mbappé, who denounced “deficient leadership” in a friendly defeat to Germany. Results improved in the summer but the mood would not lift.