Mbappé and the return of the nostalgia: football in the parc of the princes

Mbappé and the return of the nostalgia: football in the parc of the princes

The return of Kylian Mbappé to the Stade de Prince was eagerly awaited by the fans, but reunion with the Italian national team ended for France in a rough 3-1 defeat. This was the first matchday of the Nations League, and the bitterness was noticeable when hopes for a successful comeback quickly turned into disillusionment.

With a boycott of the nostalgia, you longed for better times. "The Prince's return" titled the French daily Le Parisien and thus referred to the hopes that were placed in Mbappé. After four months of absence due to a move to Madrid, the audience hoped for a magical revival of his old form in the Paris stadium.

France's furious beginning and Italy's dominance

The evening started promising for the hosts. Bradley Barcola scored the first goal in the twelfth second after the Italian defense had blown. The TF1 commentators were visibly excited and wondered whether this could be the fastest goal in the national team history. Barcola, who is seen as Mbappé's successor, already demonstrated his talent in the first three Ligue-1 games in which he scored four goals.

But after this promising start, the Azzurri took control of the game. Her style of play was so impressive that even the Italian spectators were surprised. Sandro Tonali, who returned after a lock for illegal betting activities, turned out to be a key player. His chopping trick, which led to compensation by Federico Dimarco, was a sign of the Italian return to the old strength. The Italian goals of Davide Frattesi and Giacomo Raspadori consolidated their superiority.

Kylian Mbappé and the challenge of expectations

mbappé itself had some outstanding moments during the game, but could not meet the expectations. In his last eleven games for "Les Bleus", the captain only scored twice, one aspect that is considered questionable. His urge to penetrate into the center often did not seem to be fertile, and instead he deviated on the wings. Despite his mistakes and the pressure he experiences, Mbappé tries to ignore the criticism of the public. In a moment of reflection, he stated that he had learned to hide the opinions of others. "What people think is the smallest of my problems," he said, emphasizing that you couldn't satisfy everyone.

The discussions about the role of coach Didier Deschamps, who has been in office since 2012, were re -lived up by this defeat. His conservative game ideas in particular are criticized, and lost trust in the French football team could have long -term consequences. Despite the shortcomings, Deschamp emphasized that he wanted to continue until at least 2026.

With this ambitious ambition, the French team leadership seems to be trapped in a dilemma. The 3-1 defeat against Italy in the Prinzenpark, a place that gave them a lot of pleasure in the past, is an unpleasant premiere. After the game, the sports newspaper L’équipe was able to understand the concern of fans too well. France had never lost in this stadium, which has increased the severity of this defeat.

A lack of trust in one's own skills sometimes leads to frustration that also felt Mbappé. He has the expectation of making an entire country proud, and the concern that he cannot meet these expectations is heavy on his shoulders. This encounter with Italy could not only be seen as a damper for the French national team, but also as a turning point for Mbappé as a player and as a leader on the pitch.