How Barcelona started Neymar-Mbappe war
Karan Tejwani
- 16 Aug 2022 12:00 BST
- 3 min read
Two of Paris Saint-Germain’s biggest stars – Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – dominated the headlines this weekend, despite the club’s 5-2 win over Montpellier.
The two had a discussion over a penalty, with Neymar stepping up to take it, but it was Mbappe that wished to have it, despite missing one earlier in the game.
There seems to be a frosty relationship between the pair, which is a far cry from what it was before, as they were close when they first moved to the club in 2017.
Now, Le Parisien has an explanation as to why the relationship has soured in recent times and it comes down to Neymar’s desire to leave the club.
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At the end of the 2018-19 season, Neymar wished to return to Barcelona, and that confused Mbappe, which is now believed to be the reason behind their disagreements.
In the following season, Mbappe became more popular amongst the French champions, and his status rose in the team during their run to the Champions League final that year.
Soon, Mbappe wanted to be seen as the star man in the dressing room, and as that didn’t happen, he wished for a move to Real Madrid, before eventually agreeing to an extension with PSG.
🚨 Sergio Ramos stepped in to ease the tension between Neymar and Kylian Mbappé and acted as a mediator in the PSG dressing room conflict.
(Source: Le Parisian) pic.twitter.com/2OysPpbN8f— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 15, 2022
There were reports suggesting that Mbappe wanted Neymar to leave the club in the summer, which was unknown to the Brazilian, and his future is unclear in the French capital.
It was also reported that Sergio Ramos was asked to mediate between the two stars and ease the tension between the two players to maintain peace in the dressing room.
It’s believed that the relationship between Neymar and Mbappe has never been so distant, and that could affect the team as a whole, as they eye success across all fronts this season.
All of these reports are unwanted blips for PSG, who have started the season well and are on a new course under coach Christophe Galtier and sporting advisor Luis Campos.
