The president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, has explained what happened with the frustrated signing of Kylian Mbappé, who was subjected to political and sports “pressure” from Paris and Qatar to end up changing his mind in a signing that “was very long”.
“PSG is not my enemy, nor is Chelsea or City. They are all friends, we are very sporty and we get along with everyone. I have not fought with PSG », he said this Wednesday night in an interview with ‘El Chiringuito de Jugones’.
The president of the white team has referred in this way and in the first place to the signing of Aurélien Tchouaméni. «Tchouaméni said that Mbappé told him that he wanted to go to PSG and he told him no, and Mbappé understood him perfectly.
That happens many times,” he pointed out, also pointing out the “problem” of those known as club-states.
However, one of the great focuses of the interview has been what happened with Mbappé, a signing that “was very long” since last year and in which, in the last 15 days with the confirmation a month ago, the player changed result of pressure. «He did not betray Florentino. Mbappé conveyed to the whole world his desire to play for Madrid, it was his childhood dream and it’s true », he said.
«We wanted to do it in August, it was not possible, they did not let him, and he kept saying that he could wait. He talked to them and told them that he wanted to leave. A long time passed, we had to wait a year, and 15 days before the situation changed due to political and also economic pressure, I imagine. He went in like a block and must have gotten out because of what he thought was easier. We saw that it changed », he explained.
Florentino has confessed that the French player was not the same those days, mainly as a result of political pressure. “An important fact is also when he did not want to do a joint sponsorship act with all his teammates. Football is a collective sport, they had offered him not only to be the leader of a team, but also to manage the club. This is not the Mbappé that I wanted either », he said.
«This is another Mbappé, who as a result of the pressure has had to change his dream. He is too young. He calls him the President of the Republic and tells him ‘don’t go’, that there is no point in calling him the President. The pressure has made him change, it’s not easy. He has not come because he did not want to, but if Qatar, if two States, politicians, if they all pressure you, you block yourself », he added.
«His signing has been very long and he has changed his mind. The pressure that has affected him the most is politics. He has had a hard time. Here it does not fit in my head that the king of Spain called… Presidents of the Republic, the mayor of Paris, and you go to Qatar and they offer you a series of things that drive you crazy, an influence on the sports project that is disproportionate to a player, which make him block, “he insisted.
The president of Madrid also referred to the feelings of the white fan and the possibility that the PSG striker will play in the Spanish team in the future. «The Mbappé that was going to come is not the one I found. If so, I prefer that he stays at PSG, the Mbappé that I knew is the one from the dream. This Mbappé is not my Mbappé, if he changes, life takes a thousand turns », he has expressed.
«This Mbappé who refuses to do an act with his national team, I don’t love him. That could have been a slip, they have confused him, he is young. I have nothing against him, but I believed the dream, that’s true. No player in the history of Madrid has been above the others. We are not going to make any exceptions », he added.
In addition, Florentino has also valued the transfer market beyond the Parisian star, like a Haaland who had no place with Benzema. “We have the best center forward in the world and he was incompatible with Haaland. We’re not bringing Haaland in to sit on the bench. The new team is doing well, with some reinforcements, with the youngsters », he concludes.
