Ibrahima Konate defended the appointment of compatriot Kylian Mbappe as the captain of the French national team and spoke in detail about the “crazy” questions that his colleagues asked him.
The defender said that his Liverpool teammates asked him questions about Mbappe’s identity.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker was recently appointed the new captain of the French national team after Hugo Lloris retired from international football.
In an interview with Eurosport, Konate explained that his colleagues asked if Mbappe was arrogant, which the defender called “crazy.”
“He is a young boy who likes to laugh and have fun, nothing more. He is the same person as everyone else, and a very good person,” Konate told reporters.
“Some might think he’s arrogant. I am often asked this question, in my club or somewhere else, but I answer them: “Are you crazy or what? He’s too good.”
— Of course, he will be a good captain.
Konate was also keen to point out that the decision to hand over captaincy duties to Mbappe should be respected by the team, despite reports in Le Figaro that Antoine Griezmann felt unfairly snubbed by the decision.
The 23-year-old is adamant that the team remains united and that their No. 10 enjoys the undivided support of the players.
“Even if I had an opinion about it, it wouldn’t change anything,” Konate explained.
“The coach decides, but I am very happy. To be honest, Kylian Mbappe deserves it, we are unanimous in this.”
This is high praise from Konate, who played five matches en route to the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar.
The fact that Liverpool players asked him about Mbappe’s attitude is certainly interesting, given that the club has repeatedly advertised the 24-year-old’s move.
While it is unlikely that he will ever move to Anfield, given the finances involved, it just shows that the players are as involved as the fans when it comes to situations like this.
Both Konate and Mbappe were called up to the French national team for the Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands and Ireland.
