‘Lionel Messi didn’t get the respect he deserved in France’: Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe took a dig at PSG and slammed the fans for their behaviour towards Lionel Messi

Messi, Mbappe, PSG, PSG coach, Lionel MEssi, Kylian Mbappe

Argentina's Lionel Messi, rear, and France's Kylian Mbappe hug prior to the World Cup final match between Argentina and France. (AP)

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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe has finally spoken about the treatment metted out to Lionel Messi during his two years tenure with the French club and said that he did not get the respect he deserved while in France.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the 24-year-old said, “We are talking about potentially the best player in the history of football. It’s never good news when someone like Messi leaves. Personally, I don’t understand why so many people were so relieved that he was gone.”

“We are talking about Messi. He needs to be respected, and instead he didn’t get the respect he deserved in France. It’s a shame, but that’s how it happened. We will have to do what we can to replace him,” he added.

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Meanwhile, Mbappe reportedly told PSG he will not take up the option of a one-year extension in his contract when it expires next June.

In a statement sent to news agency AFP on Tuesday, Mbappe said PSG “were informed on July 15, 2022” of his decision to not extend his contract, adding that “the only aim of the letter was to confirm what had already been spoken about previously”.