Kylian Mbappé has been heavily criticized after the Champions League exit against Dortmund.
Dortmund knocked Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé out of the Champions League after a 2-0 aggregate win over two semifinals.
Afterward, Mbappé was singled out as the main culprit. In the major newspaper L’Equipe, he received a score of two out of ten. Only his fellow forward Ousmane Dembélé received a similarly low score.
“He was technically poor for a long time and stood no chance in duels with Mats Hummels,” the French newspaper wrote.
The man from Bondy missed a big chance in the first half, before hitting the crossbar towards the end.
“His last Champions League game in Paris turned into a nightmare,” L’Equipe wrote.
His contract with PSG expires at the end of the season, and he is expected to move on to Real Madrid. According to ESPN, the superstar rolled his eyes and walked out of an interview when asked if he had played his last game for PSG after the semifinal loss.
“His legacy in Paris will forever be tarnished,” L’Equipe also wrote.
It has indeed been a shaky season for the 25-year-old. Last summer, he reportedly refused to extend his contract with the capital club. During the preseason, he was excluded from the squad that traveled to Asia.
Club president Nasser al-Khelaifi was clear that PSG did not want to let the superstar leave for free – and that the 25-year-old had to sign a new contract or leave the club before the season. At the start of the season, Mbappé had to train with the reserve team.
A contract extension never came, but Mbappé was gradually welcomed back into the fold. In his seven seasons at PSG, the closest Mbappé has come to achieving the club’s grand ambition was the final loss to Bayern Munich in 2020.
Ever since Qatar became involved in 2011, the club has poured significant funds into the team in pursuit of a Champions League trophy. However, after seven attempts with Mbappé as the leading star, success has still eluded them.
“Dortmund defended perfectly against him for 180 minutes, but above all, he himself got almost everything wrong. He got a chance late in the game, but such a good player should not wait that long before creating something,” L’Equipe concluded.
