Real Madrid President Florentino Perez, who was reportedly quite miffed by Kylian Mbappe’s decision to snub Real Madrid, has now suggested that the 21-year-old Frenchman has been wooed by the riches of Paris Saint-Germain‘s Qatari owners.
In an interview with El Chiringuito TV, the 75-year-old Spaniard said, “His [Mbappe’s] dream was to play at Real Madrid, we wanted to do it last August and they didn’t let him leave, he kept saying he wanted to play at Madrid and like 15 days before he changed the situation.”
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“It was not easy for Mbappe to receive calls from the president of France… to tell you not to leave the club. Then go to Qatar and they offer things that drive you crazy, probably things out of proportion. This is why Kylian has changed,” Perez claimed.
“This is not the Mbappe I wanted to bring, he is another one, who must have changed his dream. He changes, he is offered other things, he is pressured and he is already another footballer. There is no one at Real Madrid above the club. He is a great player, he can win more than others, but it is a collective sport and we have values and principles that we cannot change,” the Real Madrid President added.
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Asked whether Real Madrid would sign the prolific Frenchman in future, Perez said, “The Mbappe who was going to come here is not this one. If it is, I prefer him to stay at PSG. I want the one with the dream … This Mbappe is not my Mbappe, adding, “Real Madrid will be always open to buy players who understand that no one is bigger than the club.”
Mbappe’s decision to snub Madrid left not just Perez, but La Liga fuming, and the competition organisers have filed a complaint with UEFA for what they deem to be a “scandalous” renewal by PSG that threatens the economic stability of European football.