KYLIAN MBAPPE admitted to enjoying more freedom playing for France than Neymar and Lionel Messi at Paris Saint-Germain.
The 22-year-old striker scored in France’s 2-0 win over Austria on Thursday night.
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And after the game, an interviewer told Mbappe that he seemed freer to play for the national team.
Mbappe agreed, replying: “I play differently. Other things are asked of me here in relation to my club. I have a lot more freedom here.
“The coach knows that there is a number nine like Olivier who occupies the defense and I can go around and go to space.
“In Paris it’s different, it doesn’t exist. I was asked to shoot, it’s different.”
Mbappe impressed in his free role for his country and worked well with Olivier Giroud, who played a central role in the striker’s top scorer.
But Mbappe doesn’t have a similar striker to play at PSG and that caused some problems – news last month suggested the world champion felt isolated after Neymar’s elimination.
Things came to a head when they clashed in the 5-2 win over Montpellier when Mbappé asked Neymar to hand him the penalty duties.
When Neymar refused, he threw a strop mid-match as the club agreed Mbappe would be number one penalty takers when he signed a new contract in the summer.
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There were other signs of tension in Mbappe’s relationship with Neymar as the Frenchman couldn’t serve his teammate with the door open as he was looking to score a hat-trick in a game earlier this month.
Mbappe admitted he had “cold moments” with Neymar, but this season he hasn’t even bonded well with Messi.
Indeed, Mbappe has failed to provide an assist to any of his teammates as they have already fielded the striker for eight goals this season.
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