PSG manager Christophe Galtier has played down rumors of a break between Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. There were previous suggestions that the France star and World Cup winner were in trouble because of Emi Martinez. The Argentine goalkeeper was strangely obsessed with Mbappé at the title celebrations.
Martínez openly mocked Mbappé several times during the post-match party in the locker room. The goalkeeper even continued with the references to French in the parade of Argentine buses in Buenos Aires. Mbappé, despite losing, scored a hat-trick against Martínez in the World Cup final.
PSG coach insists that there is no tension between Messi and Mbappé
“There is no reason to mix everything in the relationship between Kylian and Leo,” said Galtier. “Kylian has a very good attitude after losing the World Cup.”
“When you lose a World Cup final, you have a reason to be very, very disappointed. He was very disappointed, but he knew how to carry on and behave, and he had a lot of class to congratulate Leo and that is very good for the club and for the team ”.
As well as dispelling rumors of tension between the two superstars, Galtier also claimed that Messi would not return to France until early January. “[Messi] I had to return to Argentina for the festivities, the receptions and we decided that I was going to be out until January 1,” Galtier said at a press conference.
“And so he will come to join us, either on the 2nd or the 3rd, to be able to resume the competition with us, when he will have had between 13 and 14 days of recovery.”
PSG plays its first Ligue 1 game since the World Cup break on Wednesday. Reigning French champions welcome relegation-battling Strasbourg. Messi’s first official game with his club could be a French Cup match against Chateauroux. However, Galtier could opt to book his superstar for a league game against Angers on January 11.
PHOTO: IMAGO / NurPhoto
