Mbappe returns as France captain, admits leadership mistakes

Mbappe returns as France captain, admits leadership mistakes

– Kylian Mbappe is set to captain France against Croatia in the Nations League quarterfinal first leg on Thursday.

– It will be his first start since a 3-1 loss to Italy on September 6.

– He returns in top form after scoring 31 goals in 44 games for Real Madrid this season.

– The Real Madrid star admitted he mishandled his role as captain in the past.

– “I know people were not happy… I wasn’t doing things well.”

– In September, he dismissed criticism, saying he didn’t care about public opinion.

– Now, he acknowledges: “As captain, I didn’t bring people together. I accept that.”

– There were questions about whether he’d remain captain, but he kept the armband after talks with Didier Deschamps.

– Deschamps previously left him out of matches, citing physical and mental struggles.

– Mbappe missed a France call-up due to injury but played for Real Madrid.

– This angered fans and raised doubts about his commitment to the national team.

– Mbappe will reunite with Ousmane Dembele (PSG) in attack.

– Both have hit 30-plus goals this season, but Dembele is only at six goals in 53 France caps.

– Mbappe: “We know each other well. If we combine properly, we’ll be unpredictable.”

– Mbappe is third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals.

– Only Thierry Henry (51) and Olivier Giroud (57) are ahead of him.

– Mbappe is focused on moving past his mistakes:

– “The most important thing is to move forward and not repeat them.”