Days after the storm his Ballon d'Or comments kicked up, Kylian Mbappé has broken his silence to kill off talk of a rift with his France team-mate Ousmane Dembélé.
The Real Madrid forward, according to French website "Foot Mercato", confirmed that recent events had not damaged his relationship with Dembélé. Their duel for the award, he stressed, had never spilled over into a personal dispute.
His remarks had sparked a wide reaction. Mbappé spoke about how his career differed from Dembélé's, pointing out that he had always been seen as the chosen player at a time when his team-mate suffered numerous injuries.
Dembélé fired back quickly. After Paris Saint-Germain's win over Brest, he explained that he had never been the chosen player and had worked hard throughout his career to reach the standing he now holds.
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Mbappé speaks to Dembélé
Speculation about tension between the two friends had been building, especially with their reunion in the France camp at Clairefontaine drawing near. Mbappé settled the matter in no uncertain terms.
Speaking to the newspaper "L'Équipe" as an ambassador for the brand "On", the Real Madrid forward said: "I have already spoken to him about this matter, and there is no tension, and I do not think there is any real problem. I am completely calm."
He puts the fuss down to timing, given its link to the France camp and the UEFA Nations League matches.
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"During the Nations League, and with France taking part, there is always something to spark controversy, and I think this controversy is justified," he added.
The Ballon d'Or race, Mbappé insists, has not affected his relationship with Dembélé. What happened, he says, goes no further than sporting competition and comments that have been widely interpreted.
Their eagerly awaited meeting in the France camp now looms as the first real test of that relationship, after the controversy the award race stirred up.