Kylian Mbappe revealed that without the intervention of Paris Saint-Germain's head coach Luis Enrique and the club’s football advisor Luis Campos, he would not have played for the Ligue 1 champions last season.
Mbappe, whose free transfer to Real Madrid from PSG was confirmed on Monday, had been put up for sale and forced to train separately from his team-mates last summer due to a contract standoff regarding his future.
The 25-year-old forward stated that Luis Enrique and Campos intervened to "save him" and enabled him to contribute to PSG’s season.
"I was told (that I won’t be playing for PSG), it was made clear to me, I was told through the media, it was told to my face. It was very clear. I was spoken to violently, I was told. So it was clear to me that I wasn’t going to play." he said while speaking at a press conference in France ahead of Friendly against Luxembourg.
“Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. Without them, I’d never have set foot on the pitch. That’s the strict truth, and that’s why I’ve always been so grateful to the coach and the sporting director.
“I hear all the criticism because I think I’m the best person to analyse my performances, so I have no problem letting my guard down here and saying that maybe it was a bit lower than my standards.
“But compared to everything I’ve experienced, just playing, repeating matches and winning trophies has been my greatest source of pride. But it’s certain that next year, I won’t be content with a year like this.”
Mbappe signed a new contract with PSG in the summer of 2022, having nearly transferred to Madrid. The deal was set to run until 2024 and included an option to extend for an additional year.
He told PSG in June last year that he intended to stay for the upcoming season rather than exercise his option to extend. Despite Madrid's persistent interest, PSG was certain that Mbappe could not leave the team for free.
As a result, in July, PSG sent the France international a three-page letter in which they accused him of causing discord within the team and gave him a deadline to decide his future.
After having discussions with the club, Mbappe later resumed first-team training in August. During the 2023–24 season, he made 48 appearances across all competitions, scoring 44 goals and dishing out 10 assists as PSG won the Ligue 1 championship.
Mbappe discussed his move to Madrid at the beginning of his news conference on Tuesday. where he has inked a five-year contract with the Spanish champions.
“I am very, very happy, liberated and relieved and extremely proud to be able to arrive at this club where I have always dreamed of being,” he said. “So a big thank you. I am very excited about arriving at this very big club, the best in the world.
“I arrive with great humility and I would like to thank all the people who sent me messages and all those who contributed directly or indirectly to this operation, which was more than complex. I thank everyone at Real Madrid, especially President Florentino Perez, who has always had confidence in me since day one.”
It must be noted that Mbappe departed the club as their all-time top scorer with 256 goals in 308 appearances.