The reported tension between Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé within the French national team has sparked a debate among former internationals over how professional football squads should handle internal disputes. Speaking on RMC Sport’s program Rothen s’enflamme, former defenders Souleymane Diawara and Emmanuel Petit addressed the situation following recent comments regarding the Ballon d’Or that reportedly strained the relationship between the two forwards.
RMC Sport Airs Concerns Over France Squad Dynamics
Ballon d’Or Remarks Strain Forward Partnership
The alleged friction coincides with the gathering of the France squad under Zinédine Zidane ahead of a series of UEFA Nations League fixtures. According to RMC Sport, the dynamic between Mbappé and Dembélé has cooled in recent weeks following remarks made by the Real Madrid star concerning the Ballon d’Or—comments that did not sit well with the Paris Saint-Germain winger and European champion.
Subtle On-Field Consequences Emerge From Friction
Addressing how such player friction manifests on the pitch, 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit explained that subtle on-field consequences are nearly inevitable when personal relationships sour.
“It happens in clubs not to fancy someone’s face for X reasons, but you remain professional nonetheless,” Petit said on RMC Sport.
“There are things you unconsciously won’t do for your colleague like mutual coverage, defensive replacement, giving him the ball on the first intention. Plenty of details can turn into a grain of sand in a relationship.”
Petit Questions the Need for Official Intervention
When considering solutions for the national team staff, Petit questioned whether official intervention is necessary, suggesting that players should take ownership of resolving their differences.
“I don’t know if a meeting with Zidane is judicious,” Petit noted.
“The players also have their say. When there were problems between players, we sorted them out among ourselves.”
Diawara Recalls Marseille’s 2009–10 Title-Winning Precedent
Souleymane Diawara echoed that sentiment, drawing on a precedent from his playing days at Olympique de Marseille during the 2009–10 Ligue 1 title-winning season under Didier Deschamps. Recalling a past conflict between teammates Mamadou Niang and Brandão, Diawara detailed how the squad handled internal strife without management involvement.
“Brandão didn’t get along too well with ‘Mamad’ (Mamadou Niang), you could feel it on the pitch. Brandão might not make the pass when he could give it,” Diawara recounted on RMC Sport.
“The day after a defeat, we called Didier Deschamps, we told him: ‘There is no warm-down, we need to talk to each other and clear the air.’ It lasted an hour to an hour and a half. We told each other our home truths. The coach didn’t come. We sorted out that problem. It’s better to sort that out between players without coach or directors.”
Summarizing the rationale for player-led mediation, Diawara emphasized privacy and direct communication. “The players need their intimacy and to speak openly from the heart,” he added.
Worth a look
