France followed to World Cup by home politics after Mbappé’s swipe at far right
Platini among former players to accuse captain of creating distraction as Deschamps defends captain’s right to speak
TL;DR
- France captain Kylian Mbappé has reiterated his criticism of the far-right National Rally party, ahead of next year's presidential elections.
- Coach Didier Deschamps defended Mbappé's freedom of expression, stating that players are citizens and aware of sensitive topics.
- Some former players, including Michel Platini and Christophe Dugarry, have expressed concern that Mbappé's political comments could create distractions and divisions within the team.
- Mbappé's stance echoes previous instances of French players speaking out against the far right, such as Zinedine Zidane and Lilian Thuram.
- The political climate in France, with the National Rally currently leading in polls, adds significance to Mbappé's statements.
- Despite Deschamps' request for journalists to focus on football, political questions are likely to persist for the French team during the tournament.