France coach Luis Enrique admitted he was powerless to convince Kylian Mbappe to sit out the match against sixth-tier Revel.
"Why not give Kylian Mbappe a rest? He wants to play and then the rest of us don't have much to say. You can only watch him play and enjoy it," Enrique replied when asked about letting Mbappe play the full 90 minutes of the 9-0 win over sixth-tier Revel in the round of 32 of the French Cup on January 7.
Enrique also believes that Mbappe is the type of player who has more say than the coach. And when such players play, he asserts that everyone benefits, including the team, the public and the opponents.
Mbappe (left) celebrates scoring in PSG's 9-0 win over Revel in the French Cup round of 32 on the evening of January 7, at Pierre-Fabre Stadium, France. Photo: AFP
Mbappe scored three goals in the 9-0 win over Revel. The 25-year-old striker increased his season tally to 25 goals in 24 games, his total for PSG to 237 goals in 284 games and his career tally to 268 goals in 356 games.
Usually, when facing much weaker opponents, top-tier teams often use their reserve lineup. On January 6, in the victory over fourth-tier Arandina in the Copa del Rey round of 16, Real Madrid sat out their entire La Liga squad. However, when facing Revel, Enrique still used many stars such as Mbappe, Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos, and Marco Asensio.
Enrique will take charge of PSG from the start of the 2023-2024 season. PSG are currently five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, have reached the last 16 of the French Cup, the last 16 of the Champions League and have won the French Super Cup. However, their performance in the Champions League has not been convincing. PSG finished second in Group F with eight points from six games. Enrique's team only advanced thanks to a goal difference over third-placed Milan.
Before joining PSG, Enrique won a Champions League, a treble and two La Liga titles with Barca. With the Spanish national team, he reached the semi-finals of Euro 2021 and the final of the Nations League 2021. Enrique said goodbye to Spain after losing 0-3 to Morocco in the penalty shootout of the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup.
Thanh Quy (according to RMC Sport )
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