‘I said: ‘I cannot play for people who think I am a monkey”
Kylian Mbappé has revealed he almost quit playing for France after their Euro 2020 heartbreak over the amount of racist abuse he suffered.
Mbappé has risen through the ranks to become one of the world’s best players but missed their fifth penalty in their last-16 penalty shoot-out defeat against Switzerland.
The Frenchman was the victim of several racially incentive messages in the aftermath and the 23-year-old admitted they took their toll on him and had spoken to Noel Le Graet, the President of the French Football Federation about the lack of support he received.
“I said, ‘I cannot play for people who think I’m a monkey. I’m not gonna play’,” he told Sports Illustrated.
“I think I’m an example for everybody. This is the new France… That’s why I didn’t give up on the national team. Because it’s a message to the young generation to say, ‘we are stronger than that.”
Like many of the French national team, Mbappé was raised by immigrants who moved to the suburbs of Paris and he said that hasn’t made an impact to his identity.
He said: “I feel French because I was born in France, and they gave me this opportunity to grow up normally.”
The forward was also asked about his decision to snub a move to Real Madrid in favour of staying at Paris Saint-Germain, explaining that a conversation with French president Emmanuel Macron – a Marseille fan – convinced him his future lied at the French champions.
Mbappé has been selected by Didier Deschamps for the World Cup where they will face Australia, Denmark and Tunisia.
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