All has been well at Paris Saint-Germain for several weeks now, so the media have seized upon the “affair” of the banners displayed against 29-year-old midfielder Adrien Rabiot during Sunday’s Classico (3-1) between PSG and Olympique de Marseille to turn it into an affair of state. Kylian Mbappé, Real Madrid’s 26-year-old striker, who is currently in training with the French national team, has now had his say on the matter.
Mbappé “If you do a bad article, I’m not going to talk about your wife, your family, your father.”
“I spoke with Adrien, he’s touched, it’s not easy to be in this situation, there aren’t many people who know what it’s like. I don’t understand, it goes beyond the PSG-Rabiot episode. I don’t understand why you talk about his family when you have a problem with a player, I don’t understand this annoying habit of talking about people’s families. If you make a bad article, I’m not going to talk about your wife, your family, your father.”
Mbappé “I hope this will serve as an example for all stadiums”
“It’s something we’ve seen elsewhere than at the Parc, with Bradley Barcola in Lyon in particular, and I hope it will serve as an example for all stadiums because there’s a bit of a sickness. We can accept things but there are limits, as players we can accept jokes, it’s part of our job, but limits are crossed and attacking the family is something we don’t want to see.”
Unfortunately, insulting banners have always been displayed in stadiums. Christophe Galtier experienced this as a coach, and Bradley Barcola was recently confronted with it too. The problem is that it always takes on an extra dimension when it comes to PSG. Of course, this kind of banner is to be avoided, but it’s been years and years since the work could have been done.
There’s no doubt that in a few days’ time, certain politicians will also come out to add their two cents on the subject. All to say nothing when a similar banner is displayed in Nice, Lyon or Marseille in two weeks’ time.
It’s a problem that needs to be solved, to protect players and coaches. But all these facts should be put on an equal footing. There’s no need to pick one at random, make a big deal out of it, and then offer nothing and do nothing about it in the fans’ stands.
