Real Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappé
Captain of the French national team, Kylian Mbappé has revealed that his passion is the only reason why he is still playing football at the professional level.
According to the Real Madrid forward, he would even want his son to hate football, citing the excessive mental pressure the sport demands.
Mbappé made this statement in an interview with French newspaper L’Équipe, when asked if he would like to see his children play football at the highest level.
“I hope to have a son who detests football. The more money you have, the more problems you face. If I didn’t have the passion, football would have burned me out long time ago,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Mbappe openly discussed mental health in elite sport, describing how athletes are reluctant to show vulnerability.
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“The complexity of the thing is that people have trouble with it. You must not show it. Someone in his living room would say, ‘F*ck, at the price they’re paying you, I’d be happy every day!’
“That’s why sometimes it’s better to keep it to yourself. If I win the World Cup, you come to me three days later and ask me about it, I can say it. You’re practically untouchable there. You lose a match, you say that, they tell you that you’re saying that because you were terrible. It doesn’t change anything if I was already like that before the match… It’s all a question of timing.”
JE
Meanwhile, watch the post-match conferences of Otto Addo, Tom Saintfiet and highlights of Ghana vs Mali game