Nations League, Italy vs. France: The Kylian Mbappé Controversy Erupts

The situation in France is far from peaceful: on the eve of the Nations League match against Italy, the French press revealed the Kylian Mbappé controversy. According to L’Equipe, the relationship between the Real Madrid striker and head coach Zinedine Zidane is strained, and communication between the two is at an all-time low.

It appears the source of the friction dates back to last fall’s training camp, when Zidane announced at a press conference that his plan was for Mbappé to play wide on the left to make room for Ousmane Dembélé in the center. The Real Madrid star did not take the decision well at all—nor the way it was communicated—and something went awry.

The situation did not improve in the following months, but Zidane, realizing Mbappé’s discontent, tried to find a solution. It seems, however, that the former French champion’s attempts have not worked.

Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappé suffered a knee injury in training and is highly doubtful for Thursday night’s match against Italy: France has not yet issued an official statement, but the outlook is not good. Marcus Thuram, Pierre Kalulu, and Aurélien Tchouaméni will definitely not be playing.