Angel Di Maria claims PSG didn’t consider Lionel Messi’s presence when handing Kylian Mbappe ‘all the power’
Angel Di Maria believes his former club Paris Saint-Germain has overlooked Lionel Messi and put the burden of responsibility on Kylian Mbappe.
- France and PSG rely on Mbappe
- PSG signed Messi in 2021
- Mbappe signed new contract in 2022
WHAT HAPPENED? The Argentine has suggested PSG rely too heavily on Mbappe when they have his compatriot and all-time great Messi in their ranks. Di Maria also feels that France as a country has bestowed too much responsibility on the 24-year-old, with president Emmanuel Macron dissuading him from joining Real Madrid in the summer.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking to ESPN Argentina, Di Maria said: “I think France in general have given Mbappe a lot of responsibility. The people, the president, PSG. They made him stay when he could have left and gave him all the power to be him and no one else. But there’s a big difference, they gave him all that power with the best in history [Messi] next to him.
“I think they gave him all that power and strength because he’s French, he was born there, won a World Cup and has an extraordinary career ahead of him. But all that aside, when I was at PSG he was a good boy and I don’t think he’s changed so much.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mbappe is one of the highest-paid footballers and sportspeople in the world. The attacker was the subject of a protracted transfer tug-of-war between his hometown club and Real Madrid in the summer but he eventually stayed back in Paris. He is currently the third-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 with 13 goals in 19 matches.
WHAT NEXT FOR KYLIAN MBAPPE? The attacker will be next seen in action on Sunday when PSG take on Lille in a Ligue 1 clash, looking to get back to winning ways.