Kylian Mbappe has played down his spat with Olivier Giroud ahead of France’s opening Euro 2020 match though admits he was not happy with the Chelsea player’s public criticism.
The Chelsea striker moved to within five goals of Thierry Henry’s record for Les Bleus last week when he netted two goals against Bulgaria on Tuesday, though he was critical of his lack of service.
‘I was a little quiet because, sometimes, I made runs and the balls didn’t come to me,’ Giroud told L’Equipe du Soir afterwards. ‘I am not saying that I always make the best runs, but I am seeking to offer solutions in the box.’
Those comments were interpreted as criticism directed at Mbappe by the French press, particularly with Giroud having thanked Benjamin Pavard and Ben Yedder for their assists, and relations between both players have been frosty ever since.
Mbappe is reported to have rejected his teammate’s apology and there have been tensions in training between the French duo.
Now the PSG frontman has spoken out on the row, confirming that he was not pleased with the way Giroud criticised him – doing so publicly rather than privately – but he wants to move on from the drama.
‘I spoke with Olivier Giroud. Everyone knows what happened. It is true that I was a little affected by it,’ Mbappe said at a press conference on Sunday.
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‘But we are not going to make a big deal about it because we are here to represent France, that is the most important thing.
‘It is more that he said it publicly than the fact that he said it. I saw him in the dressing room and he didn’t say anything to me.’
He added: ‘He expressed a feeling that I have had 365 times during a match.’
