Author of a double, the Parisian striker spoke after qualifying against Barça on Tuesday in the Champions League. He also (very) briefly talked about his future…
Not happy, double! Criticized (rightly) after his failed individual match in the first leg against Barça (2-3 defeat), Kylian Mbappé responded in the best possible way on Tuesday, at the Montjuïc Olympic stadium. And PSG, winner 4-1, is therefore qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions League. There were obviously his two goals, a penalty for the 3-1 and the last, in the 89th minute, to dampen Barcelona’s last hopes. And all the rest. “We must highlight the performance of Kylian Mbappé. He was the undisputed leader of the team. You have to see the pressure that the attackers put in this match. Hat ! The leader sets the example and when Kylian transmits this, we are much better”greeted Luis Enrique at a press conference.
Rather (very) rare in front of the media in recent months, said Mbappé appeared in the mixed zone for the first time since the Champions Trophy, at the start of 2024. The opportunity for him to highlight the collective work of PSG on Tuesday evening . “We had a great match as a team, we worked for six days after the match in Paris with everyone. It’s a great day for the club, congratulations to everyone at the club who works and to the players., he said in perfect Spanish. Because yes, Spanish journalists are inevitably there when «KM» shows the tip of his nose… “I dream of winning the Champions League with Paris”he again indicated, explaining that his teammates and himself will do everything “to go to Wembley”where the C1 final will take place on June 1st.
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We have passed one more stage, we must remain calm.
Kylian Mbappé
The mixed zone with Paris Saint-Germain is often short, even very short. In this case, the 2018 world champion spent barely more than two minutes in front of the microphones. Five questions. Three in French, including two to highlight the pride of Mbappé, who did not need to be asked. “I’m proud to be here since day one. It’s not because he has good times, bad times, that my pride takes a hit. The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it’s something special, me who grew up here… It’s certain that experiencing this kind of evening, as a Parisian, it “It’s big, but here we are, we’ve gone one step further, we have to stay calm”he said, he who will play the semi-finals for the third time with Paris, in this case against Borussia Dortmund.
And to continue: “Even if we had lost, I am still proud to be Parisian. Now, it’s certain that on evenings like this, the pride is even greater. We are very happy, we are beating a team that we wanted to beat. That’s what we did. But really, congratulations to the group. We prepared for the match for six days with the idea that we were going to win, that we were going to qualify. We are very happy”. There is something. PSG is in the semi-finals of the Big Ears Cup for the fourth time in its history.
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A (big) thought for the supporters
A qualification acquired under the eyes of 3,000 Parisian supporters, in the middle of a stadium completely in its original state – it dates from the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona – but which can still accommodate 60,000 people. “It’s for them tooassured Kylian Mbappé. They had a long trip, it was complicated, we weren’t helped with organizing the match, tickets and all that, it was a hassle… We certainly thought of them. We are very happy. I hope everyone gets home safe and sound. Take care, take care of yourself, your families, and we all continue together towards the semi-finals”.
Remember that PSG will travel to Signal Iduna Park on April 30 or May 1 for the semi-final first leg, with the return to Parc des Princes on May 7 or 8. Mbappé will therefore play at least two more matches on the European scene under the colors of the capital club before heading towards other horizons. The captain of the Blues indeed announced his choice to leave PSG at the end of the season to Nasser Al-Khelaïfi on February 13, before revealing the news to his teammates a few days later. Luis Enrique recently left the suspense hanging. But there is little doubt: Mbappé will leave PSG at the end of June. Moreover, a Spanish colleague asked him, as he turned on his heel, if his decision could change: “Don’t, don’t, don’t”. As “Lucho” would say», “you have to take advantage of it while it’s there”.
