CNN
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France superstar Kylian Mbappé has said he is considering leaving the France squad after Euro 2020, citing a lack of support after suffering racist abuse.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Mbappé says he spoke to the president of the French Football Federation (FFF), Noël Le Graët, about the racist abuse he suffered after France’s surprising loss to Switzerland on penalties. on goal in the round of 16 of the tournament in 2021 – Mbappé missed what turned out to be the decisive penalty.
The Paris Saint-Germain star told Le Graët: “I can’t play for people who think I’m a monkey. I’m not going to play.
“But afterwards, I take the reflection with all the people who play around me and encourage me, and I think it was not the right message to give up. Because I think I am an example for everyone Mbappé continued.
“It’s the new France… That’s why I didn’t let go of the national team. Because it’s a message to the younger generation to say, ‘We’re stronger than that.’
CNN has reached out to representatives for Mbappé and the FFF for comment.
Mbappé and the FFF have been at loggerheads for a year around the image rights of the players of the France team.
The rift between Mbappé and the federation began in March when the 23-year-old first boycotted activities with one of the team’s sponsors, according to several French media outlets.
Three months later, Le Graët told L’Équipe that the image rights deal would not change until after the World Cup.
However, in September – after Mbappé boycotted sponsorship activities, including a photo shoot, during the French national team’s training camp in Clairefontaine – the FFF announced that it would work to revise its agreement with its national team players regarding the use of their images and rights.
Mbappé’s published comments come just over a week before the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, in which France enter as defending champions and one of the favorites to retain their crown.
