The star player’s contract with kylian mbappe has been canceled by the team’s manager because of…
Presidential candidate was not the title Kylian Mbappé was aiming for at the start of the campaign. However, some of those uninspired by the choice in France’s presidential elections last month crossed out the names Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen to scrawl “Mbappé” on their ballot papers instead. With his humble smile, tailored suit and nonchalant waves to fans outside the Parc des Princes, there was something presidential to Mbappé’s media address following his shock signing of a new three-year PSG contract. The new power that comes with it could match his presidential demeanour.
Mbappé’s decision to stay at PSG, a fanciful situation a few months ago, marks the start of sweeping changes within the club. Leonardo, the sporting director, has already exited for the second time and the coach, Mauricio Pochettino, is widely expected to follow. Large parts of an unwieldy squad are finally expected to be sold too, something Leonardo struggled with, while PSG’s prolific but little-used academy could finally take on genuine importance.
PSG’s wider decision-making. His influence is already shaping the club. The appointment of Luís Campos as sporting director – a friend of Mbappé’s from their days at Monaco – was borne out of contract talks between Mbappé and PSG. The player’s continued presence influenced Campos’s acceptance.
Pochettino’s position, meanwhile, has improved thanks to Mbappé, who spoke of his “great relationship” with the coach. That directly contradicts the club’s position under Leonardo, who repeatedly offered Pochettino’s job to Zinedine Zidane, but Pochettino could yet see out the final year of his deal. Although he waved away the suggestion, Mbappé’s oversight could extend to transfers. According to L’Équipe, he has agreed to the potential sale of Neymar this summer.
While traditionalists will balk at a player wielding such political power, Mbappé’s new status represents an interesting footballing experiment. Although concessions made to Mbappé were primarily borne out of desperation, as PSG feared the loss of perhaps the world’s best player to a major rival for free, player power of this sort could make sense for modern football, under the right circumstances.
Having handled the relentless coverage of his future with poise and humour while his performances have only improved, Mbappé’s reputation has grown inside and outside PSG. Giving footballers too much influence at clubs could cause problems – given their egos, inexperience and the fact that transfer decisions directly affect their own futures, and that too much power could undercut the coach’s authority – but there’s little doubting Mbappé’s maturity, intellect and, now, dedication.