Tribal Football

Lizarazu: Real Madrid striker Mbappe no longer explosive nor decisive

Carlos Volcano
Lizarazu: Real Madrid striker Mbappe no longer explosive nor decisive
Lizarazu: Real Madrid striker Mbappe no longer explosive nor decisiveLaLiga
France World Cup winner Bixente Lizarazu has taken aim at Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe.

Lizarazu was unimpressed by France star Mbappe in the media conference before Friday's defeat to Italy. Mbappe had stated he wasn't fussed by the reception he would receive from Parc des Princes fans after his departure from PSG.

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Lizarazu told L'Equipe: "Kylian Mbappé's press conference on Thursday surprised and embarrassed me. The words used were inappropriate, not those of a leader and much less those of a captain. You can't be insensitive to the feelings of the France fans, to the frustrations they may have, to the questions they may have.

"You have to try to respond, to give hope; it's part of the job and the emotional bond you have to have with your fans.

"It's the consequence of an incredibly conflictual situation with his former club, during which the non-sporting aspect took precedence over the sporting aspect.

"There are moments in your career when you have to stop, refocus on yourself. I think the captain of Les Bleus is going through a difficult time. The best version of Mbappé probably dates back to the 2022 World Cup and that's the one we want to see again. Today he is no longer explosive and decisive as he was in the past. He is still a great scorer, a great player obviously, but he is no longer as scary as he used to be."