Kylian Mbappé insists he trusts Paul Pogba more than his brother Mathias and admits his rapport with Neymar has had highs and lows.
The France superstar faced the media at a press conference on the eve of the Champions League Group H opener against Juventus.
“The match is very important of course it is important for a club like PSG to beat big names like Juventus. We start this European campaign at home in front of our fans, they expect a lot from this competition, so we want to perform well and get good results,” Mbappé said.
Neymar has taken the last two penalty kicks for the Ligue 1 giants although Christophe Galtier had suggested Mbappé was the designated penalty-kick taker. Who will step up if PSG are awarded a penalty against the Old Lady tomorrow?
“We will see, there is always a discussion about that. We have to see it during the game. We haven’t decided. If the match shows that Neymar takes it, it is fine. If it’s me, it’s also fine. There is no issue there,” said Mbappé
“It is our sixth year together, Neymar and I have always had a relationship based on respect. We have had moments where it has been colder or hotter, and there have been moments where we have been best friends.
“Other times we have spoken less. There is mutual respect, I respect him for the player he is and the importance he has in the team. When there are strong players with strong characters, it is not a linear thing. There are incidents that happen, but there is always respect.”
There is a lot of noise around his rapport with his compatriot Pogba who was accused by his brother Mathias of having hired a witch doctor to place a curse on his international teammate.
Pogba reportedly told France investigators that the only thing he did was to talk to a ‘town elder’ who he had contacted as part of an attempt to bring charitable funds to children in Africa.
Mbappé insited that his rapport with Pogba hasn’t changed following the latest developments.
“No, because right now, I prefer to trust what my teammate is saying. He called me and gave me his version of the events. Right now, it is his word against his brother’s word, so I am going to trust my teammate,” he assured.
“We have a big competition coming up with the national team and I am quite detached from the whole issue.”
Mbappé added that his role at the club hasn’t changed since he extended his expiring contract this year: “I think I am in the same role as last season, I am trying to do the same job, which means performing well on the pitch, being decisive and winning as many trophies as possible.”
He also praised Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic predicting a bright future for the Serbia international and said he will have to ‘accept’ to be subbed off against Juventus tomorrow.
“Vlahovic is a quality striker, he is one of the best of his generation. he can do much better going forward, he has so much to give.
“He has already shown so much, Only time will tell, but I don’t think it is a big risk for me to say that he will be a top striker in the coming years.
“You have to accept that it is true that it is easier said than done, but I think we need to take stock now.
“We know we are ambitious as strikers and we always want to score goals and make an impact. The coach has a more global view of things and we need to trust him. If he feels the best solution is to bring us off, we accept it and get on with it. He is the boss and I accept his decisions.”