France striker Kylian Mbappé has identified Real Madrid's main rival in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking in an interview with the French newspaper "L'Équipe", Mbappé faced questions about Paris Saint-Germain lifting the Champions League twice without him while Real Madrid have gone without the title since his arrival. He replied: "I explain it as 2 + 2 equals 4 (meaning that the matter is clear and simple). They won, and we cannot take anything away from that, and I congratulate them. They built their victories, and they succeeded in claiming a second consecutive title, and that is exceptional."
"Paris is the team to beat," he added. "And we, Real Madrid, and all the other teams, enter the competition with the aim of dethroning the team that won twice. We reached the semi-final with Luis Enrique in my last year. It was simply a new cycle for them."
On leading France, Mbappé said: "It has allowed me to develop as an individual within a group. In the national team, I was always the person the others looked to. But as a captain, you are the one who has to look to the others. It requires a lot of energy, but it also gives me great pleasure. I try to do it in the best possible way."
Turning to Zinedine Zidane, the French star commented: "Zidane is Zidane. He represents so much for the French. He is the legend, the national Zizou. He is elegance and greatness. He made the history of the national team as a player. And he has extremely iconic moments. He is perhaps the player who most represents the French national team. He is one of the players who crossed generations, and he made the history of French football in a way that cannot be erased."
Had he spoken with Zidane? The Real Madrid star was clear: "No. We will have all the time in the world to talk."
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