Mbappé reveals another reason to join Real Madrid

Euan McTear
  • 12 Dec 2021 02:35 CST
  • 3 min read
PSG's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring for France in the 2021 Nations League semi-final v Belgium
© ProShots

Kylian Mbappé was linked with a transfer to Real Madrid all throughout the summer of 2021, before revealing in interviews in October that he truly did want to leave Paris Saint-Germain. There are many reasons why the French forward might want to move on at this stage of his career and he has discussed another one in a recent interview.

Article continues under the video

Speaking with PSG’s official club media, Mbappé reflected on how physical it can be in Ligue 1, something which isn’t the case nowadays in LaLiga Santander. “It's tough, very tough, and very physical!” he said of France's top division. “There is an incredible intensity, the players are really ready to get stuck in, to make strong tackles, it's not easy.”

Ligue 1 is very tough and very physical!
- Kylian Mbappé

While he went on to point out that Ligue 1 has far more quality than it is often given credit for, Mbappé again brought up the weekly beating that the top players can suffer from opposition defenders, something Neymar has complained about in the past.

“I think that this year, there is some top football too, and I think it's more pleasing on the eye than in previous years,” Mbappé said. “But it's a league that is reputed for being very physical and very tactical. So it's true that it requires some adaptation, especially for us.”

If Mbappé does move to Real Madrid, he’ll find a league which is less about physicality and where the intensity is far slower. In addition, the referees are much quicker to whistle for a foul, protecting the star players more than in other countries. This, then, could be another key reason for wanting a move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.

Mbappé’s other comments

In the same interview, Mbappé praised the PSG fans for their support so far this 2021/22 season. “In certain matches that we lost at home last season, we know that it was also due to the fact that we didn't necessarily feel at home," he said. "We were at the Parc des Princes, but the stadium felt empty. I think [the supporters] give us an extra push. They give us a lot of strength, they help us to go out and pick up results. They also push us to wake up at times when we start a match too passively. They are there to encourage us.”

Don’t miss the next big transfer!

Get the latest transfer insights and analyses directly in your mailbox.