Kylian Mbappe defends Zinedine Zidane on Twitter: What did FFF president Noel Le Graet say?

In partnership with

GiveMeSport

·9 January 2023

Kylian Mbappe defends Zinedine Zidane on Twitter: What did FFF president Noel Le Graet say?

Kylian Mbappe has defended Zinedine Zidane on social media following eyebrow-raising comments made by the president of the French Football Federation (FFF).

FFF president Noel Le Graet made a statement to French outlet RMC Sport denying any contact with Zidane after Didier Deschamps signed a contract extension with Les Bleus.

OneFootball Videos

Deschamps, who has been in charge of the French national team since 2012 and won the World Cup in 2018, has put pen to paper on a deal that will see him remain in charge until 2026.

“It’s something essential in the functioning of the French team,” Deschamps, who led France to a second successive World Cup final in Qatar, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

“I realised since my return the emotions and the passion that this World Cup had been able to generate.

“There was a lot of passion and support.

“We have two big games against the Netherlands and against Ireland in March, on the road to qualifying for Euro 2024 in Germany.

“You can count on me, on all the staff to ensure that the French team remains at the highest international level.”

What did Noel Le Graet say about Zinedine Zidane?

Per various outlets, including Marca, Le Graet said that he wouldn’t have picked up the phone even if Zidane had contacted him about potentially replacing Deschamps as France manager.

Zidane was tipped to replace Deschamps after the 2022 World Cup, and reportedly rejected the chance to become the United States’ new head coach, but the FFF president insisted the legendary midfielder wasn’t on his radar.

“If Zidane tried to contact me, no, I wouldn’t have picked up the phone,” Le Graet said, per Marca.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t have even picked up the phone. To tell him to find another club? Make a special programme for him to find a club or a national team?”

He also said of Zidane: “He had a lot of supporters, some were waiting for Deschamps to leave. But who can seriously criticise Deschamps? No one can.

“You can always miss a game, but I’ve been with him for 10 years, there haven’t been many problems. [Talk of] his departure always generates clicks. Thus he put to rest the rumours about the possible arrival of the former Real Madrid coach to the national team.”

What did Kylian Mbappe tweet?

Irked by Le Graet’s comments, Mbappe tweeted: “Zidane is France, you can’t disrespect the legend.”

The 24-year-old’s tweet has subsequently gone viral. It’s been viewed 42.2 million times and counting.

Mbappe, winner of the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot award, is the most powerful player in the French national team right now and his words carry significant weight.