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.
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