The French team comes to Euro 2020 as world champions and a series of big stars in the squad. However, Kylian Mbappe is definitely still the number one hope of the people of the hexagonal country.
When Arsene Wenger first saw Kylian Mbappe play, perhaps he also felt that the boy before his eyes was not an ordinary character like many other young players. That moment happened many years ago but all the emotions are still as fresh as if it were yesterday. Until now, “The Professor” still recalls that day with excitement: “The first time I saw Mbappe was when I was in Monaco. I exclaimed that he is as outstanding as Pele!” This summer, Kylian Mbappe is one of the most expected stars in the Euro 2020 sky.
According to coach Wenger, the life of a high-class player is divided into many different stages of development and Mbappe is in during a key period. “For most young talents, the age of 20 is the time when a few individuals begin to separate themselves from the rest. Then at the ages of 22 and 23, that separation process happens again. Special players will leave their peers behind and go straight to the highest level.
Kylian Mbappe is a typical example. This Euro may be the last obstacle in his young player’s life. Of course, he will continue to develop. Mbappe has all the elements required of a top player, which is the desire to become the best, intelligence and willingness to sacrifice everything for his career,” coach Arsene Wenger analyzed.
The 2018 World Cup was Kylian Mbappe’s breakthrough before the age of 20. Photo: Getty Images
Like millions of football viewers around the world, Arsene Wenger is also very excited about what Kylian Mbappe can do for the French team at this year’s Euro.
Mbappe’s age of 22 also feels like an important boundary between precocious talent and forged excellence. “Mbappe is much more mature and responsible than his age,” Wenger said. “He has great starting speed, and the ability to choose sharp moments and finish is also very respectable. Kylian Mbappe is the perfect combination of strength and flexibility. Playing alongside Neymar also helps him improve a lot in coordination, tactical vision and handling final situations. We have two players who have set the standard for world football in the past 15 years: Messi and Ronaldo.
They dominated everything and their position was always far away from those behind. To maintain the highest level for 15 years is extraordinary, but luckily we have found a bright face to inherit what Messi and Ronaldo left behind. That is Kylian Mbappe.” Mbappe was only 3 years old when Cristiano Ronaldo debuted at Sporting Lisbon and 5 years old when Lionel Messi had his first official match in a Barcelona shirt.
From a young age, he dreamed, observed, practiced and understood exactly what was needed to follow the same path as his two seniors. After all, natural talent is something one can find but not everyone has the tremendous determination and steadfastness to become great. Coach Arsene Wenger said that there are two types of motivation in sports. The first is intrinsic motivation, that is, an athlete’s self-awareness and desire to be number one.
The second is extrinsic motivation, that is, motivation that comes from the impact of people around you. Of course, motivation is actually the more valuable thing. Antoine Le Roy – who made a documentary about Mbappe on the Canal+ channel – described Mbappe’s true motivation like this: one day, he came to visit Mbappe at home and the two played video games together. death. They started with FIFA but then Mbappe realized that Le Roy was playing so poorly that he suggested changing to another game. Le Roy immediately chose NBA 2K, a basketball game that he had mastered for a long time. Of course, Le Roy “destroyed” Mbappe in this game.
Mbappe then arranged for Leroy to rematch after 1 week and something unexpected happened. “He called and asked me if I was ready,” Antoine Le Roy recalls. “We played against each other and I couldn’t win a single match. At that time I didn’t understand what the hell was going on. I’ve been playing that game for 10 years, but after just 1 week, Kylian left me wondering what to do to win. He spent an entire week learning how to play, watching tutorials on the internet, studying each character’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s his personality. He wants and is willing to do everything to become the best.” Besides everything from himself, family support also plays an important role in Kylian Mbappe’s career.
This player’s development path through each stage is planned in detail and extremely accurately, as if it had been pre-programmed to help Mbappe succeed. It all comes from tradition, unshakable belief and the utmost care that the whole family has given Kylian Mbappe since he was just a boy. Kylian’s father, Mr. Wilfried Mbappe, is the coach of AS Bondy – a small football team in the suburbs of Paris (nearly 11km from the center of Paris). His mother, Fayza Lamari-Mbappa, is a professional handball player. Being both professionals, Kylian Mbappe’s parents clearly understand the nature of this path.
They understood their son was a rare talent and protected Kylian very carefully. They politely refused all attractive offers from the representatives, who also saw the silhouette of a big star in Mbappe early on when he was just a boy. They understand that the temptation of money and fame is inevitable and Mbappe will face it only when he is truly ready.
Kylian Mbappe with his father and younger brother. Photo: Getty Images
As a young player, Kylian Mbappe helped his whole family receive a special visit to Real Madrid from Zinedine Zidane. They were also personally visited by coach Arsene Wenger during their time in London. They received valuable advice on development directions for Mbappe. With such a bright young star, going abroad to play was just a matter of sooner or later. At that time, when Kylian Mbappe was still a teenage player, there was no reason to put it on the player’s shoulders.
This is the pressure of having to play away from home. Financial issues are also resolved similarly. After winning the 2018 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe became a particularly sought-after face. So many companies are ready to roll out the red carpet to invite Mbappe to be a brand representative, but more than 200 invitations have been rejected. Even Hublot – a famous Swiss company specializing in manufacturing high-end watches for the upper class – took a year of negotiations to receive a handshake from Mbappe. Although talented in football, Mbappe is not a “good student”. Mrs. Fayza even had to force Kylian to bring an evaluation sheet for the teacher to comment on after each lesson. Mbappe is a smart boy but the subjects at school don’t seem to match his imagination.
All that interests Kylian is tennis, swimming, music and especially English – something that will help a lot in the future. In an interview with Le Parisen newspaper in 2019, Mr. Wilfried Mbappe recounted Kylian Mbappe’s beginnings: “Ever since he was 2 or 3 years old, Kylian told me every day that he wanted to be a football player. . The first time I took him to the soccer field, I saw Kylian’s passion and I decided to train him. But I also have a rule. Everything related to football only stays on the field and in the locker room. When I come home, I am a normal father again. It took nearly two years for everyone at the club to realize that Kylian was my son. From that moment on, I realized Kylian’s difference.
He’s better than the kids who are a few years older than him. To be sure, I asked him again what path he wanted to follow when he grew up and let him make his own choice.” Kylian Mbappe started at INF – French National Football Academy, where young players are brought into an environment to truly live football. Here there is a principle called the “5 Rs” which are Respect (respect), Regles (rules), Rigeur (strictness), Rendement (effectiveness) and Rire (laughter). Not every young player can study here, but even when standing among a series of selected kindergartens across the country, Mbappe still stands out the most.
When he turns 14, it is also time for Mbappe to choose a club to associate with for his future career. Mbappe’s family wants him to have playing time and stability rather than the flashiness and excessive challenges of a famous club. Initially, they chose Caen but everything fell apart when this team was relegated. AS Monaco was very quick to become a replacement. 2013 was also the time when the Principality team spent 170 million euros to bring in a series of rookies including Radamel Falcao, James Rodrigues, Ricardo Carvalho, Joao Moutinho and Eric Abidal.
However, no one expected that the 14-year-old boy joining the club’s academy that year would turn out to be the most valuable deal.
The Monaco launch pad is the foundation for Kylian Mbappe’s development. Photo: Getty Images
The first year in Monaco, Kylian lived in the same apartment as his father. Only a short time later, he was promoted to the U17 team. Unfortunately, disagreements with head coach Bruno Irles caused Mbappe’s development to be interrupted for a short time. Mr. Irles said that Mbappe was superficial in supporting defense. Mr. Wilfried Mbappe said that the coach is trying to “suppress” his son instead of teaching him to grow up. First team head coach Leonardo Jardim personally had to resolve this conflict.
He brought Mbappe to the first team and it was definitely one of the best decisions he ever made. Kylian Mbappe quickly became the youngest player to appear for Monaco at the age of 16, and the youngest player to ever score for this team at the age of 17. When the contract between Mbappe and Monaco only had 1 year left, Technical Director Luis Campos tried to convince Ms. Fayza Lamari-Mbappe that continuing to stick with the team was the most reasonable choice for her son’s development. grandma.
He recounted: “A series of big teams at that time were excited about Kylian. But I tried to explain to them that staying with Monaco would give Kylian many advantages. If he leaves and goes to a top team, Kylian will have to be alone in the locker room among a series of huge egos. Previously, I had time to work with Cristiano Ronaldo and I could see the similarities between these two players. They were born to become champions, to become stars of the world.” In 2016, Kylian Mbappe signed his first professional contract with AS Monaco. He exploded the following season with 26 goals, helping Monaco win Ligue 1 and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Martin Leprince – who wrote Mbappe’s autobiography – recalled that he did not even go to celebrate after the championship: “All the players went to the party except him. Mbappe went home right after dinner with the whole team.” The period from 17 to 20 years old, as coach Arsene Wenger said, is truly the time when Kylian Mbappe broke through. He joined PSG at the age of 18 with a record contract and made his debut for the French national team.
A year later, he shined brightly in Russia to win the world championship with France, and became the second teenage player after Soccer King Pele to score in a World Cup final. “Even when not in good form, we all know that Mbappe will shine in decisive moments,” coach Arsene Wenger said, “People forget that the boy is only 22 years old. This season he played 47 matches for PSG and scored 42 goals, not to mention 11 assists.” These numbers further confirm that Kylian Mbappe is becoming more and more excellent.
He is improving himself every day so that today’s Mbappe must be a better version than yesterday. Coincidentally, Mbappe’s second separation period (as coach Arsene Wenger said) took place right at Euro 2020 and everyone was waiting for what he would do with Le Bleus. If it is said that the French team entered this year’s Euro with a world championship crown, then surely Mbappe must be the most valuable jewel on that crown. And people will again admire, but not be surprised, if that pearl continues to shine in the European sky.
