The feud between the French duo has escalated ahead of European Championships.
France prodigy Kylian Mbappe hasn’t taken fellow striker Olivier Giroud‘s comments post the Bulgaria game lightly as the PSG star has come up with a feud-inducing reply.
Giroud, who scored two goals as a substitute for Les Bleus in the final warm-up game against Bulgaria, criticised that he is not receiving enough services from his teammates.
The Chelsea striker said: “I was quiet because sometimes you make a run, and the balls just don’t arrive.”
I don’t always pretend to make the right calls, but I have tried hard to give solutions in the area.”
However, Giroud’s comments weren’t well-received by Mbappe, who has now hit back at the Chelsea star for making his feelings public.
Mbappe said: “It’s not what he said. Frankly, what he said doesn’t bother me. I’m a striker, and it’s an opinion. He is expressing an opinion when he speaks. It doesn’t bother me.”
“I’m a striker, and I’ve had this feeling 365 times in a game, and I will have it again when you feel you’re not getting the service [of the ball]. It’s more about making it public.”
The PSG ace also added that his preparation for Euro 2020 and squad harmony should not be distracted by such trivial things.
“He’s a striker, he wants to score goals, he’s near a record, and when you’re a striker, whether you like it or not, it gets into your head. If he could have scored another goal, he would have done so.
“But making it [the argument] public…I would have preferred to let him come and be even more vocal in the changing room. It’s happened to me. We have known each other for a while.
“And I don’t want this preparation, which has started well – because we have played some good matches – to be spoiled or for the squad to be affected because the squad doesn’t need this. We have some difficult challenges to face, and we don’t need to create our own obstacles.”
French manager Didier Deschamps has revealed that Karim Benzema, who has returned to the national team after 6 years, is fit to play the opening game against Germany, which means that Giroud would start from the bench.
Despite currently finding himself down the pecking order, Giroud is the second top-scorer in France’s history with 46 goals, five goals shy of equalling the record of Thierry Henry.
Kylian Mbappé on Giroud drama: "It is more that he said it publicly than the fact that he said it. I saw him in the dressing room and he didn't say anything to me."
Kylian Mbappé in press conference: "I spoke with Olivier Giroud. Everyone knows what happened. It is true that I was a little affected by it. But we are not going to make a big deal about it because we are here to represent France, that is the most important thing."
There seems to be a brewing feud between Frances strikers Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud with the Paris Saint-Germain striker saying in his press conference on Sunday that he was "affected" by comments from his compatriot.
