MY ACCOUNT
Kylian Mbappe sent shockwaves through the world of football after announcing his decision to renew his contract with Paris Saint-Germain and snub a move to Real Madrid.
It had long since been expected the France superstar would make the switch to LaLiga champions Madrid upon the expiry of his contract in June.
However, a dramatic U-turn was completed on Saturday when PSG confirmed their prized asset had renewed at the Parc des Princes until 2025.
The reported money involved in the new contract is eye-watering, with some suggesting Mbappe has been given a €150million signing-on fee to stay with the Ligue 1 champions.
Mbappe’s name is likely to remain in the headlines for some time and, as you would expect, the reactions of the papers in Spain and France are pretty stark…
MARCA: IT TAKES A LOT OF CLASS TO PLAY FOR MADRID
The Madrid-favoured Marca had a picture of Mbappe holding up his “Mbappe 2025” PSG jersey alongside president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, hinting strongly the 23-year-old had shown a distinct lack of class in turning down a move to the Spanish capital. Alongside the splash is the sub-heading “Mbappe betrays Madrid and renews with PSG”.
AS: IT’S HIS LOSS
Fellow Spanish publication AS goes along a similar theme, writing that Mbappe “prefers PSG money” to being a Madrid “legend”. It feels like this blockbuster decision will rumble on in the Spanish papers for some time yet.
MUNDO DEPORTIVO: HE STAYS
Published in Barcelona, Mundo naturally has more of a Los Cules flavour but even they could not ignore this announcement – going with a simple “he stays” splash.
L’EQUIPE: FRANCE 2-0 SPAIN
Over in France, there was a much more celebratory feel and L’Equipe’s main headline made reference to the fact PSG had got one over Madrid, while Lyon defeated Barcelona in the final of the Women’s Champions League.
LE PARISIEN: PSG REJOICE, MADRID FUMES
A pretty succinct and accurate description of the state of affairs in the whole ‘will he, won’t he?’ saga. The front page also alludes to the “relief” and “huge victory” for PSG’s hierarchy, who have placed Mbappe “at the heart of their sports project”.
