Luis Enrique responds to claims Kylian Mbappe called him a 'son of a b*tch' after being hooked off early in Ligue 1 victory over Marseille

That moment happened just after the hour mark in PSG's Ligue 1 fixture against Marseille on Sunday. Mbappe was once again hauled off by Luis Enrique, much to the displeasure of the French forward, with reports later alleging that he had called his manager a "son of a b*tch" while trudging off the pitch in the rain. The Spanish coach has since refuted those rumours as "invented", insisting that Mbappe has "always behaved admirably" on the pitch.

The PSG boss told reporters on Tuesday: "What's curious is everything that's being said based on a piece of false news. Someone has invented an insult [based on a lipreading of a video showing Mbappe as he made his way off the pitch] and then from that comes all kinds of speculations. I'm taking it all in my stride. I'm very happy with all my players, Kylian included, he's always behaved admirably."

It wasn't just Mbappe's behaviour when walking off at the Orange Velodrome that caught the attention. Immediately after their 2-0 win, the 25-year-old took to Instagram to upload a downbeat post in a cryptic message as his move to Real Madrid edges closer. Despite Luis Enrique's positive words, Mbappe has been slammed by sections of the French media for his behaviour, especially considering he was PSG's captain on the night.

The substitution saga against Marseille was the latest in a string of controversies involving Mbappe and Luis Enrique. The forward has now been brought off three times and been benched once since his move to Real was reported as all-but confirmed, with the PSG boss saying on Sunday night he "doesn't care" what people think.

PSG were warned that they will have "zero chance" in their Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona if Mbappe continues in the same vain, but first the Parisians have domestic matters to attend to. Luis Enrique's side take on Rennes in the Coupe de France semi-final on Wednesday night, before hosting Clermont Foot in the league on Saturday.