Mbappé Is Conditioned for Criticism, Says Former Teammate

Presnel Kimpembe, who played alongside Kylian Mbappé for seven years at Paris Saint-Germain and now competes in the Qatari league, recently spoke about the current Real Madrid forward and the historic trio he formed with Messi and Neymar in Paris.

“Mbappé was always criticized in Paris,” Kimpembe told RMC Sport, responding to a comment that “despite his 41 goals, Mbappé is heavily criticized in Madrid.”

“Did he always live peacefully with it? Of course. That’s Kylian... That’s Mbappé, and he’s trained for this (for the criticism),” stated the 30-year-old French defender.

Kimpembe emphasized that “Mbappé grew up with this, so it’s no surprise to him,” and that “the press, in general, is sometimes very critical of him.”

“That they criticize him for not helping enough defensively? I always told him I get tired when he doesn’t run... And what did Kylian answer me? Mbappé’s answer is too strong,” he commented with a smile.

Kimpembe highlighted that “Mbappé possesses impressive mental strength. He is very strong.”

“Mbappé has already proven it, both at PSG and with the French national team. Even at Real Madrid. He is capable of leading the team and elevating it to a higher level... Kylian is truly a great player, everyone knows that,” he said about the French forward.

The defender also commented on his experience with the historic trio that Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé formed at PSG: “Regarding egos, it was difficult. Now they will say it couldn’t work because we failed to win the Champions League with the three of them, even though it was a legendary team. In terms of egos, it was tough. We have to be honest with ourselves, even they admit it. I am very happy to have played with them. I am very proud to have played with players of such caliber. If they had told me 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he commented.