Former France ace criticises Real Madrid megastar – ‘No longer makes the difference’ | OneFootball

Despite starring in France’s recent defeat to Spain in the UEFA Nations League semifinals, Kylian Mbappe continues to become a scapegoat for the French footballing fraternity.

In a game where Barcelona players such as Lamine Yamal and Pedri dominated, Mbappe was the lone wolf for Les Bleus. But despite that, the attacker continues to become a point of reference for French media and pundits.

In one such instance, Mbappe has now faced the ire of former French footballer Jerome Rothen.

Jerome Rothen’s criticism of Mbappe

In the wake of France’s recent defeat to Spain in the UEFA Nations League semifinals, Rother pointed to Mbappe’s leadership skills and said it was a mistake to give him the captain’s armband.

“I think giving Kylian Mbappe the captain’s armband was a mistake. There was a chance in September, October and November, with his absences from the French national team, to take the armband off him and let him focus only on his game,” he said (h/t RMC Sport).

Formerly of PSG and Rangers, Rothen was a French international who represented Les Bleus 13 times during his career.

It was yet another disappointing evening for Mbappe (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Pointing out the flaws in Mbappe’s game, the Frenchman questioned the attacker’s enthusiasm, stating, “The problem is not whether he defends or not, because he makes an effort, but there are games where he no longer makes that effort.

“As soon as he doesn’t have the ball at his feet, or when his team loses the ball, he doesn’t run. Against Spain, we saw him press and come out with the ball. This allowed the French team to have possession of the ball.”

Rothen continued by stating that Mbappe should work more towards his team and not just himself.

“I think Mbappe should do more in terms of teamwork, not just focus on himself. In one-on-one confrontations, he no longer makes the difference as he used to. He has to find something else,” he said.

However, Rothen did admit that Mbappe didn’t have a bad game against Spain, but urged the Frenchman to become more of an example for the rest of the team.

“On Thursday night, he didn’t have a bad game, I liked him. But he has to be able to make that shift towards team play, even with Real Madrid. From a player like him, we expect him to make his teammates better too. He has to be a reference,” he concluded.