France reached the semi-finals of the European Championship, but a poll showed that more than half of French fans did not approve of the team’s performance. Le Parisien points out that the key reason is that star striker Kylian Mbappé, due to physical and mental injury, was unable to perform at 100%.
While France’s focus on defense has helped them reach the semi-finals, the fact is that their matches have not been particularly entertaining. A French media poll yesterday asked: “Are you satisfied with the current playing style of the French national team?” 51% of respondents said no, as they also value beautiful football and entertainment. 49% said yes, because results are most important. In short, there is a clear division of opinion.
France’s difficulty in scoring stems from the fact that star striker Mbappé has not lived up to expectations. He only scored a penalty against Poland, and his performance in the knockout games against Belgium and Portugal was rather ordinary. In an interview, he admitted that he was struggling. What kind of struggles?
Le Parisien offered two answers. First, on the physical side, Mbappé’s physical condition going into the European Championship was not ideal. He had muscle pain in several training sessions, which prevented him from giving his all. On June 5, he injured his knee in a friendly against Luxembourg, and the pain has not completely subsided. Furthermore, a broken nose forced him to play with a mask, which disrupted his rhythm.
Then there is the mental side. Due to conflicts with the management, Mbappé was unhappy in his final months in Paris. In addition, French media reports suggest that Mbappé is struggling with the current state of affairs in France, leading to a negative impact on his mental state and performance in the tournament.
Regardless, the French media hopes that Mbappé will recover quickly. France will face a strong Spanish team in the semi-finals, and if Didier Deschamps’ team wants to advance, they need a better Mbappé.
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