Mbappé criticizes himself for previous mistakes as he returns to captain France

PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé returns to lead France against Croatia after a six-month absence and on Wednesday criticized himself over how he handled the captaincy before.

The Real Madrid star captains Les Bleus in Split in the first leg of a Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday, with the return leg on Sunday at Stade de France.

It will be his first start for France since a 3-1 loss to Italy on Sept. 6. That match was held at Parc des Princes, home to his former club Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappé said he did not handle things well at the time.

“I am lucid enough to know what I do well and what I don’t do well. I know people were not happy with what I was doing on and off the field, and I wasn’t doing them well,” Mbappé said at a pre-match news conference. “I have no problem questioning myself. I have never had any problem with criticism when it is deserved and well-argued.”

Back in September, Mbappé was subpar for Madrid and the national team but he hit back and said that people’s opinions about him were “the least of my worries.”

He also said “I don’t care” about the reception he will get playing again at PSG’s stadium having left following months of strong tensions with the club’s hierarchy and the fans.

Not PARSE.LY: Ousmane Dembele

PSG moves closer to record-extending 13th French league title with 3-1 win against Marseille

 

PSG can move closer to another Ligue 1 title with victory over Marseille

 

PSG’s rise: How Enrique’s vision and Mbappé's departure led to Champions League success

 

Six months later, he accepts some of the criticism aimed his way at the time was valid.

“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,” Mbappé said. “I accept that, but now the most important thing is to move forward and not to repeat the same mistakes.”

The 26-year-old Mbappé is third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals, but he has found the net in only two of his past 12 international games. There were doubts as to whether Mbappé would keep the captaincy, but he did so following discussions with coach Didier Deschamps.

The 2018 World Cup winner was left out of Nations League matches against Israel and Italy last November, when Deschamps said “ it’s better that way ” given Mbappé’s physical and mental struggles.

Mbappé was also absent from a previous gathering because of a minor thigh injury, but nevertheless played for Real Madrid, thus angering many France fans and raising questions over priorities between club and country.

After a difficult start to his Madrid career, Mbappé is now scoring freely and has 31 goals in 44 games this season.

“I am feeling good, I feel happy to play football,” Mbappé said. “I am happy to be here to help the (France) team.”

Mbappé only has Thierry Henry (51 goals) and Olivier Giroud (57) ahead of him in the national team.

Mbappé and Dembélé link up again

Mbappé is set to be reunited in attack with PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé, the French league’s top scorer.

Both have already reached 30 goals overall this season, but while Mbappé did so for the seventh time in a row, the newly prolific Dembélé managed it for the first time.

“He’s another string to our bow,” Mbappé said of Dembélé, who is also a close friend. “When you see his current form it gives us even more options, it makes us even more unpredictable for the opponent.”

He relishes the prospect of facing the Croats together.

“We just need to combine properly,” Mbappé said. “But we know each other off by heart and we want to play together.”

Dembélé has a lot of catching up to do, however, with just six international goals in 53 games.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer