France manager Zinedine Zidane ‘irritated’ by rumours of a rift with Kylian Mbappé

France manager Zinedine Zidane ‘irritated’ by rumours of a rift with Kylian Mbappé Whilst he has mostly been seen with a grin from ear to ear and a twinkle in his eye since his appointment as manager of France, it was with a stern expression that Zinedine Zidane, speaking to the press ahead of the match against Turkey, broke his silence to address certain gossip. When asked about rumours suggesting he has a strained relationship with his captain, Kylian Mbappé (27), the French legend was keen to set the record straight. “I don’t really understand (these rumours). I’m not going to get into the debate; our relationship is going perfectly,” assured the former number 10. “For the player (he didn’t mention his name) as well as for me. I can’t stop people from saying what they say.” When asked again whether the reports in the press had annoyed him, Zidane did not beat about the bush in giving his view of the matter. “Yes, the things I hear, inevitably, are rather irritating,” he said, with a touch of bitterness. In recent weeks, there have been several reports of misunderstandings between the two men. Mbappé, who started on the left wing against Turkey in September, is said to have been frustrated by this tactical choice, as he prefers to play centrally. After sustaining an injury during that same match, some reports subsequently suggested that Zidane regretted that his player had returned to Madrid immediately. GFFN | Léo Aschi