Kylian Mbappé, against bookmakers and fast food | The France National Team adds controversy

Despite being the current world champion and having several of the best players on the planet, the French team is not experiencing its best moment months from Qatar 2022. Not only for sports – it has only two points in four dates in the League UEFA Nations League and is in the relegation position – but mainly because of non-soccer.

This Monday the one who added to the problems of the French Football Federation (FFF) was Kylian Mbappé himself, by refusing to participate in a commercial photo session of the national team to show his dissatisfaction with certain sponsors of the team.

It is the second time this year that the PSG player has refused to give up his image in publicity sessions planned by the FFF, in disagreement with the way in which he selects his sponsors.

“Mbappé and his representatives are very sorry that no agreement might be reached,” the player said in a statement.

Mbappé rejects the FFF’s link with bookmakers and fast food brands, which is why, through his lawyer Delphine Verheyden, he has been asking for a change in the convention on image rights that he signed in 2017, when he was just debuting with the national team. .

The star of the team has assured that his refusal is not a question of money, since what he earns in sponsorship in the selection is donated to charity associations, but rather that he does not want to be linked to what certain brands represent.

The Federation, for its part, made it clear that until the World Cup in Qatar, which begins in November, there will be no changes to that system.

Blackmail and sexism

Among the controversial fronts handled by the French Federation, two stand out: the curious case of blackmailing Paul Pogba (by his brother) and the alleged sexist messages sent by the president of the FFF, Noel Le Graet.

Last Friday the inspection that the French government announced in the FFF due to the messages of its president was carried out and on Saturday the provisional prison was issued for Mathias Pogba, accused of participating in an extortion of his own brother Paul.

Le Graet remained at the center of the controversy since the magazine So Foot publish a note denouncing the toxic environment in the FFF that he has directed for a decade. Among examples of reprehensible behavior, the media highlighted messages of a sexual nature that Le Graet, 80, would have sent to three employees.

The Federation filed a defamation complaint once morest the publication, but the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, ordered an inspection last Friday to ensure that “absolute respect” reigns in the FFF for all employees.

League of Nations

Meanwhile, the French team will return to the ring this Thursday the 22nd when they receive from 3:45 p.m. (Argentine time) Austria for the UEFA Nations League. France has just two points following four dates (there are six in total) and is behind Denmark (9), Croatia (7) and Austria (4).

It is worth remembering that the last of the group will descend to League of Nations B. The zone will close on Sunday 25, with the French visit to Denmark, from 15:45.