France forward Kylian Mbappe said that “things and people made me unhappy” during his final year at Paris Saint-Germain. The 25-year-old will join Real Madrid on a five-year deal after his PSG contract expires on June 30.
Mbappe, PSG’s all-time leading goalscorer, decided not to sign a contract extension last August, resulting in a standoff where he was made to train separately from the first team.
“At PSG I wasn’t unhappy, that would be biting the hand that feeds you, and spitting in the face of all the people who defended me, but things and people made me unhappy,” Mbappe said on Tuesday.
He elaborated, saying, “But there are things that you can’t show because I was a leader and you don’t follow someone who drags their sadness around.”
Mbappe credited PSG boss Luis Enrique and adviser Luis Campos for their support. “Without them I would never have set foot on the field again,” he said on the eve of France’s friendly with Luxembourg in Metz.
Reflecting on his final season, Mbappe said, “I’m more proud of that season when I know everything I had to go through to play. It was lower in my standards but just playing, repeating matches, and winning trophies was my greatest pride. But next year, I won’t be satisfied with a season like that.”
Mbappe, who helped PSG win six Ligue 1 titles, is looking forward to a fresh start at newly-crowned Champions League winners Real Madrid. “It’s a huge pleasure and a dream come true,” he added. “It’s the club where I always dreamed of being. I’m going there with a lot of excitement and a lot of humility.”