The 23-year-old striker skipped a scheduled meeting at Clairefontaine with several sponsors of the French team (Volkswagen, Uber Eats, Orange, Xbox, Coca-Cola, Konami), revealing a persistent subject of contention. for many months.

The entourage of the 2018 world champion disputes the agreement relating to the transfer of the collective right to the image that each international signs, before his first selection, and which contains in particular obligations vis-à-vis the partners of the FFF.

In exchange for this commitment, each player receives 25,000 euros per match played.

Mbappé signed it in 2017 but "this agreement has never been renegotiated since and is deemed valid for each player until the end of his career in the France team", explain his representatives in a press release sent Wednesday to the AFP.

The latter claim to have exchanged with the Federation "several times, for more than three years" on this subject, convinced that "the conditions of this agreement no longer allow the image of football to be developed in respect of the values ​​that the institution, but also those specific to each player on the team".

Mbappé's absence from Tuesday's session "is in no way a + rebellion +, it had no other objective than to reaffirm its expectations and move the lines", continues the press release.

"This episode in no way calls into question the involvement of Kylian Mbappé, his attachment to the France team, and must serve for the necessary dialogue around these subjects", insist his representatives, affirming that, since his very first selection in March 2017, the attacker "wanted to donate his bonuses to charities".

The president of the FFF, Noël Le Graët, tried to change Mbappé's mind on Tuesday, but he refused to join the scheduled shooting for the sponsors.

The president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Noël Le Graêt, in full discussion with the striker of the French team Kylian Mbappé, on June 2, 2017 at Roazhon Park in Rennes, on the eve of the friendly match against Paraguay FRANCK FIFE AFP/Archives

"I'm not making it a state affair," the leader tried to deflate on Wednesday with the daily L'Equipe, which revealed the incident.

"There is no arm wrestling. Small worries are part of life. Kylian will be on the pitch in Marseille (Friday in a friendly against Côte d'Ivoire, editor's note) and I hope he will going to be good".

According to Le Graët, the lawyers of the FFF will send a letter to its representatives to "see point by point what is the problem. We want to improve things and that people are happy, sponsors and players", a-t- he says, pushing back against any idea of ​​"punishment".

"I don't like that word. But there will be a conversation" with Mbappé, he assured.

© 2022 AFP