Kylian Mbappé and the Parc des Princes, a long history… Not a long, quiet river.
And who is about to experience a new significant episode.
A native of Paris, a world-class prodigy and spectacular as can be: he has everything to be the darling of Parisian supporters, young and old, Ultras or kids.
And he is.
Not forever, but he is.
To see if this love will survive the desires elsewhere of the person concerned.
Neither the club nor the 25-year-old have confirmed the news.
However, we know that the captain of the Blues will leave PSG at the end of his contract and the season.
He announced his decision to Nasser Al-Khelaïfi on the eve of the match against Real Sociedad (2-0) and to his teammates, a few days later, 24 hours from Nantes-PSG (0-2), last week .
The news leaked on February 15.
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
Ligue 1 ranking
As for his next destination, "
we all know where he's going to go
", as Blues and Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté joked on
Canal+
.
After several missed meetings, “KM” should finally join Real Madrid.
Still, since his choice to leave Paris was made, after seven years, Mbappé has not yet had the opportunity to play at the Parc des Princes.
In Nantes, there were only a handful.
Against Rennes this Sunday (5:05 p.m., 23rd day), it will be something else.
The Porte de Saint-Cloud enclosure will be full, as always.
Read alsoPSG: responsibilities, loft and twists galore… The key dates of the Mbappé soap opera
The Ultras Paris Collective on hold
What a welcome ?
RMC
reported, before Nantes, that the Collectif Ultras Paris did not give any instructions to its members.
While awaiting communication from the stakeholders concerned, the CUP remains, a priori, in a waiting position.
From there to thinking that Mbappé will continue to benefit from the support of the Park, there is only one step.
Except that the Park is not just about the Ultras.
And what's more, they are perhaps not all of the opinion to remain idly faced with the seventh in the Ligue 1 standings. It remains to be seen whether the former Monegasque deserves the whistles of the public, he who is the top scorer in the history of the club (244 goals), perhaps the best player in the world and above all the one who often avoided the worst at PSG, like the end of last season, when everything was up in flames in Paris and he offered the title of champion almost single-handedly.
In the end, he never said that he would end his career in the Red and Blue colors.
In addition, he agreed with Nasser Al-Khelaïfi to allow the capital club to recover and/or not spend large sums (€100 million?).
One thing is certain: it would not be the first time that Kylian Mbappé has faced whistles at the Parc des Princes.
On August 14, 2021, against Strasbourg, his name was in fact booed when the starting 11 was announced.
Reason ?
He had asked to leave PSG for Real, who had made a substantial offer.
"
It's understandable.
In all honesty, I would have whistled too
,” he commented a few weeks later on
RMC
, judging that the supporters did not have all the elements and seeing it… “
a mark of affection
”.
In the sense that they wanted to see him stay in Red and Blue.
Affection is not the term that first came to mind when describing his relationships with the public.
Not for the first years of his stay in Paris in any case.
Focused on performance more than emotion, goals more than sweet words, the native of Paris has never particularly made an effort to get closer to the fans, as Warren Zaire-Emery can do by regularly singing on the megaphone in front of the Auteuil bend, for example.
However, the public of the Park needs that.
He likes blue-collar workers, like Edinson Cavani yesterday or Gaby Heinze (shamed after his time at OM) the day before yesterday.
He loved the words of love from Rai or Pedro Pauleta.
Stars and geniuses almost have a greater need to prove themselves.
And it's not the Neymar example that will make them change their minds.
The Park was ready to give itself to the Brazilian, who didn't have much to do with it.
“
I will play as if it were outside
,” said “Ney” after having also expressed his desires elsewhere, in 2019, two years after his arrival.
Scalded cat…
Mbappé spared by supporters after Real
Mbappé's personality did not help to forge strong links more quickly, he who can seem arrogant (even if it is ambition) and less fresh than the Monaco player.
All this while having seen him participate in several European disasters, such as the humiliating elimination against the Manchester United C team, in 2019, the year in which he demanded “responsibilities
”
during the UNFP Trophies ceremony.
He apologized for it.
Above all, he took charge on the pitch, actively participating in the European campaigns of 2020 (final) and 2021 (half), including this see-saw hat-trick in Barcelona (4-1 victory).
Except that in 2022, when facing what we thought would be his future club, Real, in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League, the Madrid supporters almost showed him more affection than those of Paris- SG.
The latter rectified the situation at Bernabeu, where... PSG sank (3-1).
Neymar, Leo Messi and the others suffered the wrath of the Park during the following weeks.
Everyone, except “KM”: “
Mbappé in Paris, Leonardo in the pillory
”, launched the CUP in the next match.
When the Ultras decided to celebrate the 10th title in the club's history... outside the confines of the 16th arrondissement, he did not hesitate to take out the sulphate: "
No one spoils my fun
", he squeaked , referring to a “
minority of supporters
”.
“
They do not represent all PSG supporters
,” he added.
In the end, the season ended in apotheosis, with the announcement of its extension before the kick-off of the last match.
Another failure for Real.
“
I never wore the Real shirt, except for a week when I was 14, but they always accepted me as one of their own.
I hope they will understand that I chose to stay in my country.
I am French.
As a Frenchman, I want to continue a little longer to take this championship and this club to the top,
” he explained, “
very happy to stay in France, in Paris, (his) city, (his) House
".
It was all in the “
a little bit
”.
When he returned from the 2022 World Cup, his love rating was still higher.
“
Top scorer of the World Cup, pure Parisian product.
The champion is you
”, could we read on a CUP banner on December 28, while PSG had world champion Messi in its ranks.
The fans even took advantage of this meeting against Strasbourg to inaugurate a song in his glory.
“
I didn't hear it well because I was far away, but it's really nice, I thank them,
” he commented, touched.
Crowd baths
After the exit against Bayern in 2023, Messi focused the majority of criticism.
Mbappé above the fray, and who took the time to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the K-Soce team in April, at the Parc des Princes.
But not immune to the anger of Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, who relegated him to the loft during the following summer, due to his decision not to extend.
Period at the heart of which the 25-year-old player regularly took baths in the crowd after training, at the PSG Campus in Poissy.
When he was reinstated, Mbappé found his place on the pitch and in the hearts of the supporters.
Always first in the applause meter.
First in jersey sales too, even if Kang-in Lee is more or less at the same level in this area.
Still, in four months, Kylian Mbappé will no longer be Parisian.
It's certain.
PSG, however, has no intention of pushing him under the bus and would even aim to pay tribute to him at the end of the season, according to
L'Équipe
.
Let's see what the supporters, Ultras and others think.
Elements of response this Sunday (5:05 p.m.) against Rennes.