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PSG fans have mixed feelings about Mbappe. |
This will be the first time the French star has faced his former club since leaving PSG to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2024. Legal disputes, a tense relationship with PSG's board and fans have raised the question: Is Mbappe truly a PSG legend, or just a star hated by fans for leaving his hometown club?
Broken relationship
Just a few years ago, Mbappe was considered a symbol of PSG, the long-term face of the team. The striker born in Bondy (a suburb of Paris) joined PSG from AS Monaco in 2017 for 180 million euros.
During his seven seasons at PSG, he scored 256 goals and provided 108 assists in 308 games, becoming the club's all-time leading scorer. However, the relationship between Mbappe and PSG has become strained over the past three years, especially towards the end of the player's contract.
Mbappe is currently pursuing a lawsuit for €55 million in unpaid wages for the final three months of his contract with PSG. This legal battle reflects a deep rift between Mbappe and the PSG leadership, especially with president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who once called the 1998-born striker “a star with unreasonable behavior”.
The football world has rarely seen a case like Mbappe. He is PSG's goals recordcorer and has played an iconic role at PSG. However, the way he left - as a free agent without bringing in a transfer fee for PSG - along with legal disputes has caused a part of the fans to turn their backs on Mbappe.
Le Monde once wrote: “Mbappe may be the best player in PSG's history, but a part of the club's fans see the way he left as a betrayal. PSG is stronger without him.” PSG's 2024/25 Champions League title seems to strengthen this view.
No one at PSG regrets Mbappe anymore, instead there is only hatred for the striker born in 1998. Of course, a part of PSG fans still honor Mbappe's achievements in Paris, but this number is very small.
Most people think that Mbappe “abandoned” the team to pursue personal glory at Real Madrid. PSG's success under Enrique, with its collective play and the brilliance of other individuals, has made the French club's fans even more critical of Mbappe.
The fight for honor
An interesting question has been raised ahead of PSG's match against Real in the semi-finals of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which is whether Mbappe will celebrate when scoring against his former team. According to L'Équipe , Mbappe has decided not to make any ostensible celebrations if he scores, as a way to show respect to the Parisian fans and the club that nurtured him from a young talent to a world-class star.
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Mbappe is said to have decided not to celebrate if he scores against PSG. |
This decision reflects Mbappe's wisdom. The French striker is smart enough to avoid causing controversy or "adding fuel to the fire" in his relationship with his old club.
However, whether or not he celebrates his goal probably won't affect Mbappe's determination much. Especially when the French star is eager to prove his worth to his old team.
With a 39% chance of winning the Club World Cup according to Opta , PSG are rated higher than Real Madrid (24%) ahead of their semi-final clash. PSG's European title win puts them in a superior position to Real, leading many to believe that Mbappe's decision to leave last summer was a mistake. PSG, under coach Luis Enrique, have shown that they can succeed without Mbappe.
In contrast, Mbappe's Real Madrid endured a trophyless season, being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. This contrast adds to the pressure on Mbappe ahead of the upcoming match, when he faces a PSG side in peak form.
Mbappe faces a great paradox in his career: he is the greatest striker in PSG's history but is considered a traitor by part of the fans. The match against PSG at the 2025 Club World Cup is not only an opportunity for Mbappe to prove his worth to his old team, but also a moment to shape his legacy: a legend of PSG or a star hated for leaving his homeland?
Source: https://znews.vn/mbappe-la-huyen-thoai-bi-cam-ghet-cua-psg-post1566874.html
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