Paris Saint-Germain are hoping the 2022/23 season is finally the year the French giants hoist the Champions League trophy after years of falling just short.
Kylian Mbappe is back for two more years on a massive contract, hoping to push his beloved hometown club to European glory.
While the Qatari owners provided plenty of financial might to build a powerful squad full of top talent, the club’s downfall has always been reports of infighting, discord, and miscommunication. Locker-room squabbles, ownership and management failing to have the same vision, and a disconnect between directors and players seem to plague the star-studded side.
Now, there’s a new feud to navigate as superstar attackers Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are said to have seen their friendship break down, with a penalty dispute in the second Ligue 1 game of the season highlighting the problem.
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Why are Kylian Mbappe and Neymar feuding at PSG?
Just two matches into the Ligue 1 campaign, PSG are already faced with locker-room discord between two of the team’s most talented players.
During the 5-2 win over Montpellier on August 13, the season’s first league match in front of home fans, there appeared to be an incident on the pitch that reportedly bled into the dressing room after the match.
Just 23 minutes into the game with the scoreline still goalless, Mbappe, the team’s captain and designated penalty taker, had a spot-kick saved well with the chance to open the scoring.
Then, after an own goal saw PSG go in front, Lionel Messi won another penalty. Mbappe wished to take it, but Neymar already had the ball in his hands. Mbappe approached his Brazilian teammate on the spot and the two discussed briefly, but Neymar refused to relinquish the ball and Mbappe walked away. Neymar, after giving the ball a little kiss, scored the penalty to put the Parisians 2-0 up.
Mbappe cut a frustrated figure for the rest of the match. In one incredible moment during the second half, the France star provided an outlet for Vitinha down the left on a counter-attack, but when the young midfielder instead cut a square pass to Messi on the right, Mbappe threw his hands up in the air and walked away from the attack, sulking. In the end, the move created a chance as Neymar cut a ball across the face of goal to where Mbappe would have been had he followed through, but instead he was 40 yards back watching with his head hung low.
?El GESTO MÁS POLÉMICO de MBAPPÉ?
?Dejó de correr en un contraataque porque Vitinha no le pasó la pelota.
?La imagen más comentada, con @JuanfeSanzPerez en #ChiringuitoPSG. pic.twitter.com/FMiixWJSFH
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) August 15, 2022
Even in the official Ligue 1 highlight package for the match, the voice-over states at one point, “Mbappe too easily dispossessed… there were times the World Cup winner didn’t look interested enough.”
Sergio Ramos steps in to mediate between Neymar and Mbappe
According to a report by French publication Le Parisien, the feud spilled over into the locker room post-match as the two continued their argument over the penalty.
The report states that veteran defender Sergio Ramos, who was signed on a free transfer last summer after 16 years at Real Madrid, was forced to step in and calm tensions. Ramos is said to have acted as mediator between the two forwards.
Ramos was once a a rival of Neymar’s, who spent four years at Barcelona from 2013-2017. Now, as the two are teammates in Paris, Ramos was forced to show maturity to help his two attacking counterparts solve a dispute.
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Neymar likes social media posts slamming Mbappe
Unfortunately, the feud continued further as Neymar took his frustration to social media.
While not posting himself outright, the Brazilian was caught liking a pair of social media posts that criticized his French teammate.
On Twitter, Neymar liked a post that took aim at Mbappe’s actions over the penalty. He then also liked a post that claimed Mbappe was the “owner” of PSG.
Luis Campos calls meeting to settle Mbappe and Neymar feud
According to a further report by Le Parisien, sporting director Luis Campos was forced to intervene after the feud spilled onto social media.
The report states that the two came to their senses and confirmed the incident is over, but not without senior management stepping in.
Curiously, a missing figure in all of this is new head coach Christophe Galtier, who will now have to navigate the season with two teammates cut as rivals. Last year, Mauricio Pochettino departed after just one season in charge amidst reports that he struggled to keep the locker room together, with players divided into factions, often with some backed by ownership to skirt the manager’s attempts at disciplinary action.
Why is Mbappe unhappy at PSG?
While tensions may have temporarily cooled after the meeting with Luis Campos, the subject may be far from over.
According to Brazilian journalist Marcelo Belcher, who is based in Barcelona, Mbappe is frustrated with promises made by the club that are not panning out.
Belcher reports that Mbappe was promised upon signing his new contract this summer that he would be the team’s biggest star. However, Galtier is hoping to instead foster a more collaborative squad environment that promotes a bigger team atmosphere.
Sobre a polêmica do final de semana:
– PSG caminha pra um clube mais coletivo, mas pra Mbappe foi prometido outra coisa.
– Mbappe segue sem aceitar poder ser coadjuvante. E talvez a confusão esteja longe de acabar. https://t.co/7rCADiLeiA
— Marcelo Bechler (@marcelobechler) August 16, 2022
“He extended with the promise that the team would play for him,” the report stated of Mbappe. “He expected the team to serve him on the pitch, but other players didn’t and Mbappe felt isolated from the others. He wants to be THE STAR.”
There have also been claims Mbappe grew frustrated with what he saw as a lack of discipline from Neymar last season, although the world’s most expensive player has enjoyed an explosive start to 2022/23, with three goals and three assists in PSG’s opening two league matches.
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