“An insult”, “we will not miss him”: the choice of Kylian Mbappé, who extended his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, provoked reactions of anger and disappointment in Spain and in the ranks of Real Madrid, who had been coveting the French prodigy for several years.
The most epidermal reaction was that of the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, who did not hesitate to speak of an “insult to football”.
“What PSG are doing to prolong Mbappé with big money… following suffering losses of 700 million euros in recent seasons and having a salary bill of 600 million euros is an INSULT to football”wrote Tebas on Twitter.
According to the annual report of the financial policeman of French football (DNCG), Paris SG suffered a loss of nearly 225 million euros during the 2020/21 season, marked by a TV rights crisis in Ligue 1 and the matches behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After Tebas’ tweet, the body that manages professional football in Spain issued a press release in which he says he will file a “complaint” once morest PSG with UEFA and the competent authorities in France and in the world. ‘European Union.
“LaLiga wishes to demonstrate that this type of agreement undermines the economic sustainability of European football, endangering in the medium term hundreds of thousands of jobs and the sporting integrity, not only of European competitions, but also of our championships. national”, advance LaLiga in its press release.
According to LaLiga, it is “scandalous” than a club “like PSG, which last season lost more than 220 M EUR, following having accumulated 700 M EUR in losses in recent seasons (…), with a payroll of around 650 M EUR for this 2021-2022 season, can offer an agreement of this kind, while clubs which might assume the arrival of the player without jeopardizing their payroll find themselves unable to recruit him”.
“I liked it, but not anymore”
“Now I don’t want him to come to Real Madrid anymore. It’s not worth it anymore”David Pulido, 42-year-old Spanish Real Madrid supporter, commented for AFP, disappointed and angry in front of the official Real store in Gran Via, Madrid.
“Mbappé played on both counts. First he wanted to come to Madrid, and now for the money he stays at PSG. I have no interest in Mbappé anymore, I’m sorry. He’s a great player. I liked him at times, but not anymore. I don’t want him at Real Madrid.” he shouted.
Spanish journalist Julio Maldonado, alias “Maldini”, summed up by saying that he “It’s regarding money”: “Mbappé used both Real Madrid and PSG to try to get a better contract (…) And there, Real Madrid had every chance of losing. That’s as simple as that”.
Interviewed in the program Tiempo de Juego by Spanish radio Cadena Cope, the president of the federation of Real Madrid supporters’ associations, Luis Caceres, affirmed that “Real Madrid have won 13 Champions Leagues without Mbappé. has ever been with us and he will not be missed.”
The first players of the “White House” to be active on social networks were the young Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius, then the Uruguayan Federico Valverde, without it being possible to say that their messages are directly linked to Mbappé’s decision. .
The first tweeted a photo of himself in a white outfit, kissing the Real Madrid crest, and the second posted a photo of himself in the Santiago-Bernabéu crowd on Instagram, with the following message: “+Madridistas+, thank you very much for your support throughout the season. Winning with this jersey is something inexplicable. TQ (initials of “te quiero”, meaning “I love you” in Spanish) Real Madrid!”
As for Valverde, on Instagram he simply wrote: “Being in Madrid is a privilege that not everyone can have”.