(FILES) France's No. 10 striker Kylian Mbappe reacts after his team lost in the UEFA Nations League Group A2 soccer match between France and Italy at Parc des Princes in Paris on September 6, 2024. Photo by Franck FIFE / AFP)
France coach Didier Deschamps said on Monday that a report claiming captain Kylian Mbappe was being investigated for rape in Sweden was “not a good thing for the national team”.
“Everyone can write what they want, but there is a negative atmosphere” in the French team, Deschamps told reporters after the 2-1 win in Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.
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His comments came in response to questions about Mbappe, the France captain, who was allowed to sit out the team's games this month to work on his fitness.
READ: Kylian Mbappe finally joins Real Madrid
This was already causing controversy in the run-up to last Thursday's win over Israel, before a Swedish newspaper claimed on Monday that the Real Madrid striker was being investigated for rape following a visit to Stockholm.
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After Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that an alleged rape had been reported to police but without naming the accused, another publication, Expressen, said 25-year-old Mbappe was the suspect.
The player described the report as “fake news”.
READ: PSG and French football prepare for the challenges of the post-Mbappé era
“Be careful when you pick things up,” warned Deschamps.
“It's better to take a step back before publishing anything and everything, but things like this happen so often,” he said, appearing to cast doubt on the report.
“There are things that are not difficult to verify, but if you make something old credible…”
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“In any case, I won't talk to him about it. It’s big enough to communicate.”