Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann’s relationship has reportedly been ‘far from friendly, as more fresh details emerge over the spectacular fallout in the French camp following their shock exit from Euro 2020.
The world champions crashed out of this summer’s European Championship in the last-16 at the hands of the Swiss, throwing away a two-goal lead with ten minutes remaining before being dumped out on penalties.
Les Bleus were earmarked as strong contenders to lift the trophy on July 11, however their departure from the tournament has been forensically scrutinised by the French media, with cracks in the camp coming to the fore.
Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann’s relationship has been ‘far from friendly’, L’Equipe say
France crashed out of Euro 2020 after losing to Switzerland in the last-16 earlier this week
Mbappe, who missed the decisive spot kick, has been at the centre of the French storm, according to media in his homeland. Senior stars are understood to have been annoyed with his ‘sulking’ after he fell out with Olivier Giroud before the tournament began.
And according to L’Equipe, Mbappe’s relationship with Griezmann has been rocky in recent weeks. The Barcelona man has proven a pivotal member of Didier Deschamps’ side, having led the line superbly as they won the 2018 World Cup.
The French outlet reports that Mbappe has grown ‘jealous’ of Griezmann’s role within Les Bleus, while the pair are said to have held opposing views over the return of Karim Benzema.
Explosive details have emerged relating to France’s disharmony during the Euros this summer
L’Equipe reports that Mbappe (L) was ‘jealous’ of team-mate Griezmann’s (R) role in the team
Mbappe was in favour of a recall for the Real Madrid star, while Griezmann reportedly preferred that the striker remain exiled from the camp.
The latest development comes after it was revealed that senior players such as Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda were perturbed by Mbappe’s ‘sulking’ after Giroud made comments about the lack of service provided up front.
The 22-year-old demanded a press conference be called to address the matter, despite the Chelsea man insisting that the remark was not solely aimed in Mbappe’s direction.
Griezmann is heavily trusted by Didier Deschamps and has been a star of this France side
The pair also reportedly disagreed over the return of exiled striker Karim Benzema (right)
Moreover, the French squad were reportedly unhappy with the standard of their accommodation throughout the tournament, particularly in Budapest when requests to stay near an idyllic lake were turned down.
The 26-man party were also left frustrated when pleas to see their families were denied by the French Football Federation owing to Covid health concerns.
Meanwhile, the exit of Ousmane Dembele, who was forced to withdraw from the squad due to an injury picked up in the group stage, served as a hammer blow to the team’s morale.
These factors came to a head in Bucharest, as France spectacularly fell apart to be dumped out of the Euros in the biggest shock of the tournament thus far.
Senior French players such as Hugo Lloris reportedly grew tired with Mbappe’s ‘sulking’
In the aftermath of the game, Veronique Rabiot, mother of midfielder Adrien, reportedly told Mbappe’s father to ‘reframe his son and make him less arrogant’.
She is also said to have asked Paul Pogba’s family how he could have lost possession in midfield before the Swiss team countered and found the back of the net.
Players were reportedly involved in rows during the defeat in Romania, with multiple flare ups occurring as Didier Deschamps’ side fell to defeat.
The French outlet reports that Rabiot and Pogba insulted each other throughout the match, with the Juventus star unhappy with the Man United midfielder’s defensive workrate.
All these factors led to disaster in Bucharest as players reportedly rowed on the pitch
Real Madrid star Raphael Varane lambasted Benjamin Pavard for his poor defending. The Bayern Munich defender later blasted Pogba for not contributing defensively and Varane is said to have sided with Pavard during this exchange.
Deschamps leapt to the defence of Mbappe following his penalty miss against the Swiss, insisting ‘nobody can be annoyed with him’.
‘Nobody can be annoyed with him. When you take the responsibility, it can happen. He is obviously very affected by it,’ Deschamps said in a staunch defence of the PSG star.
