Kylian Mbappe said he accepts his “mistakes” as France captain as he returns to the national team against Croatia.
Visit M88Sports for more football news and other updates.
Check out M88 Mansion’s best offers here.
Mbappe accepts “mistakes”
The Real Madrid star will captain Les Bleus in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday.
It will be his first start for France since their 3-1 loss to Italy on September 6 at Parc de Princes, home to his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
“I am lucid enough to know what I do well and what I don’t do well, Mbappe said.
“I know people were not happy with what I was doing on and off the field, and I wasn’t doing them well.”
He added: “I have no problem questioning myself. I have never had any problem with criticism when it is deserved and well-argued.”
Back in September, the star forward faced criticism for his poor form with both Madrid and the national team.
He responded by saying that people’s opinions about him were “the least of my worries.”
However, Mbappe later acknowledged that the scrutiny was valid and vowed not to repeat the “same mistakes.”
“I didn’t play well against Italy and my [pre-match] news conference didn’t please people, because as captain I didn’t bring people together,” Mbappe said.
“I accept that, but now the most important thing is to move forward and not to repeat the same mistakes.”
Enjoying his best form
The 2018 World Cup winner was left out of the Nations League matches against Israel and Italy last November.
Mbappe also missed a previous national team gathering due to a minor thigh injury but still played for Real Madrid, frustrating many France fans and raising questions about his priorities.
There were doubts about Mbappe keeping the captaincy, but he retained it after talks with coach Didier Deschamps.
After a tough start at Madrid, Mbappe has hit top form, scoring 31 goals in 44 games this season.
“I am feeling good, I feel happy to play football,” Mbappe said.
“I am happy to be here to help the [France] team.”
