Kimpembe lets rip about Mbappé, “he got on my nerves”

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·21 May 2026

Kimpembe lets rip about Mbappé, “he got on my nerves”

Presnel Kimpembe, the 30-year-old defender for Qatar SC who came through Paris Saint-Germain’s academy before playing there professionally for many years until 2025, spoke to RMC Sport on Wednesday evening. It was a chance for him to share his thoughts on the criticism received by Kylian Mbappé, the 27-year-old Real Madrid and France forward with whom he played at PSG from 2017 to 2024. He also had a word on the trio he formed with Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Kimpembe: “I always told him”

Does he handle media pressure well? “He was always criticized in Paris too. That’s just Kylian, he’s like that, he’s built for it. He has grown up with it his whole life, so it’s not a surprise. Is he criticized for not defending enough? “I always told him, he wore me out with that when he wouldn’t run.

Kimpembe: “You have to look at the bright side”

Is he still a leader? “He has already shown it, whether at PSG or with the France team. Even in Madrid, he is capable of taking the team and lifting it. After that, the results at PSG, especially in the Champions League, were not what we all would have dreamed of. You have to look at the bright side: Kylian is a very great player, everyone knows that.”

Kimpembe: “In terms of egos, it was tough.”

The Mbappé, Neymar and Messi trio? “Obviously, now people are going to say it could not work because we did not manage to win a Champions League with the three of them, even though it was a legendary team. In terms of egos, it was tough. We have to tell the truth, and even they say it themselves. I’m very happy to have played with them. I’m very proud to have been able to play with players of that caliber. If you had told me that 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Kimpembe cannot hide it: seeing Mbappé not defend is frustrating. It is also extra strain on his teammates, because they have to make up for the effort he does not put in. That has also caused problems for Real Madrid since his arrival. It is time for the forward to evolve, even if he scores a lot of goals thanks to his qualities, which of course should not be overlooked.

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The argument in his defense is also well known: he saves his energy for attacking play. However, PSG have clearly shown over the last two years that it is possible to do both. It should also be said that he was far from the only one who was not beyond reproach. The trio with Messi and Neymar was a dream on paper, except that it lacked balance. That is a shame, because there is a feeling that Paris missed out on a combination that could have made history.

Today, the regrets are limited, since the revival has arrived and taken Paris to the top of Europe. One can even think that this failed star project pushed PSG toward its new philosophy. We will not go so far as to thank Mbappé for his behavior, but the time for anger is clearly over.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.