“It’s a sauna room [in here],” said Luis Enrique as he entered into the post-match match press conference. Things would get even more heated as the Paris Saint-Germain manager got increasingly frustrated by questions about his decision to withdraw Kylian Mbappé (25) at half-time.
Mbappé suffered a blow in the 27th minute after light contact with Guillermo Maripán. The Frenchman continued until half-time but he did not return from the dressing rooms after the break. Instead, it was Randal Kolo Muani who took to the pitch. Mbappé would later emerge from the tunnel at the Stade Louis II in Friday night’s 0-0 draw against formative club AS Monaco, but only to lap up the applause of the travelling PSG fans, take a selfie with a fan and then sit next to his mother, Fayza Lamari, in the stands.
Brought off at half-time, Mbappé lapped up the applause of the PSG fans, took a selfie with a fan & then sat with his mum in the stands.
How will that go down with Luis Enrique, who last week said that PSG would have “to learn to play without Mbappé.”
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The France captain, who announced to the club that he would be leaving PSG upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season, walked with what looked like a faint limp as he walked around the track that runs around the pitch at the Stade Louis II, however, post-match, Luis Enrique revealed it was his choice to withdraw the forward.
“It was 100% the coach’s decision. Sooner or later we will have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappe. It is my decision and one that I take with the objective of doing the best for the team,” Luis Enrique began in a press conference, attended by Get French Football News.
Luis Enrique increasingly frustrated with Mbappé questions
Pushed on the issue, the Spaniard became increasingly frustrated. “I’m not going to enter into this game. I’m a professional. I don’t have a problem. It’s just a question of management and how best to manage the squad,” he said before being pushed once again on the controversial subject.
“Three out of three; a hat-trick. Three questions on the same subject. Are we going to go for four,” said the PSG manager, Much to the delight of Luis Enrique, the topic was changed, but the inquest into his management of Mbappé, substituted in PSG’s last three games, will continue.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
