In a statement that has sparked widespread controversy within French football circles, former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has strongly rejected recent comments made by his compatriot Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid star.
Mbappé had raised the issue during a joint interview with Achraf Hakimi, in which he claimed that the centre-back position was one of the easiest in football, stating that a team could win without a striker, without a defender, or even without a goalkeeper, but that “without a strong midfield, the team has no balance”.
Regarding the difficulty of the player positions raised by Mbappé, Umtiti emphasised that the defender’s role on the pitch is far from the “ease” that some imagine.
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Umtiti said during the “L’After Foot” programme on RMC: “I don’t understand why he said that; Kylian knows this very well. I think I’ll have a word with him about it!”
Umtiti responded, in a resolutely defensive tone, saying: “That’s what strikers often say; in defence, it’s completely different. You make one mistake and you pay for it immediately, so it’s not necessarily the easier position.”
The former Barcelona and France defender, who won the 2018 World Cup alongside Mbappé, added: “It’s true that playing with three defenders gives you greater security, but you’re still a defender at the end of the day. If you lose a one-on-one duel, you know the striker could run straight at goal and the match is over.”
Umtiti acknowledged that defenders cover less ground than forwards, but he emphasised the tough mental and psychological demands of the position, explaining: “When you finish a match as a defender, you get a headache, because you have to be far more focused than a forward who can make ten mistakes without it having much impact.”
Umtiti concluded by calling for respect for all positions, saying: “I don’t think we should say that one position is easier than another; all positions are extremely important.”