Didier Deschamps defends Mbappé, says he will not run 11 km per match | OneFootball

Didier Deschamps has backed Kylian Mbappé amid scrutiny of his defensive running, saying nobody should expect him to cover 11 km per match.

According to El Periódico Mediterráneo, the France coach addressed the issue on Tuesday at the Laval Sports Journalism Festival. He said Mbappé is not selfish and that he will not do it, while assistant Guy Stéphan stressed the quality rather than the volume of his runs.

The debate follows Álvaro Arbeloa’s recent claim that Mbappé and Vinícius should not be asked to defend. That stance contradicted former coach Xabi Alonso, whose stand-off with the dressing room, notably with Vinícius, Valverde and Bellingham, cost him his job on 12 January.

On Tuesday, Antonio Pintus launched a mini pre-season at Valdebebas for Champions League and La Liga commitments. Florentino Pérez demanded Alonso hand him control of the physical programme and the coach refused, which triggered his sacking. Masks for hypoxia work have been reintroduced.

On Wednesday, EL PERIÓDICO reported that after Sunday’s chaotic win over Rayo Vallecano, players challenged the coach in the dressing room, delaying his media briefing by more than an hour. Asked about the wait, Arbeloa said, “Estoy bien, gracias por la preocupación. Gracias”. The outlet added that players see him as an interim and that they were then given two days off despite calls for more training.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo