Kylian Mbappe considered quitting the French national team after their disappointing Euro 2020 campaign, as he felt he was being blamed for his side’s problems.
Les Bleus went into the tournament as favourites but ended up crashing out in the round of 16 to Switzerland on penalties.
Mbappe was criticised for his displays during the competition, with the forward failing to score and also missing the decisive spot kick to send his side home.
In the aftermath of this heartbreak, he revealed that he considered taking a break from international duty in a recent interview with L’Equipe.
“I have always put the France team above everything and I will always put it above everything. I have never touched a Euro to play for the France team and I will always play for free for my country,” he said.
“Above all, I never wanted to be a problem. But from the moment I felt that I was supposedly starting to become a problem and people saw me as a problem…the most important thing is the France team, and if France is happier without me, that’s how it is.”
He added: “This is what I was made to feel and this is what I felt. The message I received was that my ego was making us lose, that I wanted to take up too much space, and that without me, therefore, we might have won.”
Mbappe went on to confess that he even met with French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet to talk about a possible break from action.
“We discussed whether or not I am a problem for the selection. I never wanted to be a problem and I will never want to be a problem for selection,” he explained.
Mbappe also addressed the perceived lack of support he received from his France teammates following their Euro 2020 exit. Olivier Giroud publicly questioned his performances just after the tournament and very few of his teammates consoled him following his penalty miss against Switzerland.
“I could have [had more support], I agree, but I never would have gone to claim it, it’s not the same thing. Of course that would have been nice, but I’m never going to ask for support for something that I missed. We must not see things too gloomily: in the heat of the moment, everyone is disappointed with the elimination. In the locker room, later, players came to see me.”
