Kylian Mbappé has returned to the France camp with a different outlook, after making history this summer by becoming the all-time top scorer at the World Cup, and now he finds himself at a fresh start with Les Bleus under the leadership of Zinedine Zidane, who took over the role from Didier Deschamps.
The Real Madrid striker arrived at the Clairefontaine training ground on Monday alongside the rest of the France squad, opening a new era that everyone is awaiting with great anticipation.
Speaking to Radio France Internationale (RFI) in an interview published on Tuesday morning and reported by the French newspaper "Foot Mercato", Mbappé was keen to send a message of appreciation to Deschamps, stressing that the former coach left a great legacy with the national team.
Mbappé said: "First of all, we must pay tribute to what Didier Deschamps achieved with the France national team, it is a great accomplishment. He made history and restored the France national team to its natural standing, and we will always be grateful to him."
He added: "Now a new chapter begins with a new coach, and we will see how things go. New beginnings are always different, and we have to adapt and regain our balance. We will compete strongly and start winning again, because that is what people expect from us."
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Both Mbappé and Zidane live in Madrid and have met more than once in recent months. Even so, the Real Madrid star confirmed he has not yet had a serious discussion with his new coach about the France national team.
He explained: "Have I spoken to Zidane since he was appointed coach? No, I will wait until I see him at Clairefontaine. I think there is no better place than to see him on the training pitch."
He continued: "We are in the same city, we have met several times, and we already knew each other, but I am eagerly waiting to arrive at Clairefontaine to understand what he expects from us as a team, and what he expects from me as a player. We will see how things go."
A new phase now begins for France, with Mbappé set to be one of the most prominent figures in Zidane's project. Fans are waiting eagerly to see how the partnership reshapes roles, ideas and the way of working within Les Bleus.
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