Kylian Mbappe promises to lead differently as France’s captain

• Kylian Mbappe promises to lead differently as France’s captain.
• Kylian Mbappe has said that he would not change his strategy.
• Antoine Griezmann will serve as Mbappe’s assistant.

Following his selection by Didier Deschamps as captain of the French national football team for the Euro 2024 qualifying matches, Kylian Mbappe has said that he would not change his strategy. Hugo Lloris’ successor, Mbappe, has pledged to be a different kind of captain while respecting the duties of the position.

The 24-year-old spoke to media on Thursday before France’s match against the Netherlands at home,  “I don’t have great experience of being a captain and we have important players in the team. I don’t want to decide or impose anything on anyone,”

“We are a united group and we have shown that when we are all pulling together we can do great things. It would be an error for me to shake all that up.”

“I am not going to change. People listen to what I have to say in the dressing room. I just need to use my words in the right way.”

Following France’s march to the World Cup final in Doha at the end of last year, veteran goalkeeper Lloris, who had served as captain for more than ten years, announced his retirement from international competition. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has since taken over as captain.

Antoine Griezmann, who has 117 caps for Atletico Madrid and is 32 years older than Mbappe, was passed over by Deschamps.

Instead, Griezmann will serve as Mbappe’s assistant.

Mbappe said, “I spoke to Antoine because he was disappointed and frankly it is understandable,”

“I told him that I might have reacted in the same way. What I told him was that as long as I am captain and he is vice captain, I won’t be superior to him.

“He has experience of playing for France that I don’t have. He is held in high esteem and is liked by the whole squad so it would be a shame for us not benefit from his experience, and his zest for life as well.”

Mbappe avoided the media for much of the World Cup, during which he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a stunning hat trick in the championship game.

He insisted that this will not be a problem, despite the fact that he will now be required to speak prior to each game.

“It is something to enjoy putting all responsibility aside. Mbappe, who also indicated that he would continue to speak out on important issues in contrast to the more reserved Lloris, said, “I was really pleased when I found out.”

Mbappe eminently stood up via web-based entertainment when French Football Alliance president Noel Le Graet demonstrated in January that he could never have picked up the telephone to Zinedine Zidane assuming the France legend had called him to communicate an interest in taking over as mentor from Deschamps.

Le Graet had shown “a lack of respect,” according to Mbappe. After several scandals, Le Graet recently resigned.

“Depending on their personality, every captain behaves differently. Mbappe stated, “Hugo is not like me, and I am not like Hugo.”

“I don’t think the coach chose me to be captain in the hopes that I would be like Hugo.”

On Monday, France will pay a visit to the Republic of Ireland after playing the Netherlands on Friday at the Stade de France.

Greece and Gibraltar are also in their Euro 2024 qualifying group.

After a virus spread through their camp, the Dutch team is without several players, including Liverpool striker Cody Gakpo and Bayern Munich defender Matthijs de Ligt.

Dutch media reports have proposed food contamination might have been the reason.

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