France's Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid star, was taken aback by the comments made by his compatriot and France team-mate Ousmane Dembélé yesterday, Sunday.
Speaking recently about the Ballon d'Or, Mbappé had said: "Dembélé has always been seen as a talented player. As for me, I was always considered the chosen one. I reached the top straight away and at a young age. He had a different journey, because of injuries, but he managed to make up for it well."
Dembélé hit back after Paris Saint-Germain's 1-0 win over Brest. "I have always been this way. I always used to sit at the back of the class and work hard. Throughout my career, I never said a word, I just worked," he said.
He added: "I was never the chosen one, I worked hard and was rewarded with a great year at Paris. This year we will see (the situation with the Ballon d'Or), I'm following it without pressure. We'll see."
According to the French newspaper L'Équipe, Mbappé was also surprised by Dembélé's comments on Sunday. He has no intention of responding publicly, and the pair have not spoken to each other so far.
This is not the first time Dembélé has felt displeased by comments made by Mbappé, the newspaper noted.
Some of Mbappé's public remarks over recent years had already left Dembélé annoyed.
L'Équipe stated that Dembélé, who knows Mbappé more than anyone else but is not naïve, has always chosen to remain publicly silent regarding Kylian's comments.
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