PARIS : France captain Kylian Mbappe has put a difficult period behind him and is focused on helping his team in their upcoming Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey, defender Ibrahima Konate said.
Mbappe has returned to the France squad after missing their last three matches through injury, following disappointment at missing out on the Ballon d’Or and criticism in China over comments related to Mao Zedong, the country’s founding leader.
“He’s in a very good frame of mind; you can see that from his recent matches,” Konate told reporters. “He’s been decisive. He’s absolutely vital for us in Madrid.”
The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind England captain Harry Kane.
Mbappe also faced a backlash in China after apologising for remarks made during an interview in which he referred to an online meme depicting his face superimposed on an image of Mao.
The controversy prompted several Chinese brands to end their commercial partnerships with the French forward, while Spanish league matches were also removed from state broadcaster CCTV’s schedule.
Konate said his team mate had responded to the disappointment with his trademark competitive attitude.
“He’s a competitor, so of course not winning the Ballon d’Or when he thought he had a chance is difficult,” Konate said. “But the next day he was fully focused in training.”
