For two seasons, Paris Saint-Germain had what were considered three of the best players in the world at the time: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. However, the results failed to meet expectations, something former teammate Presnel Kimpembe recently reflected on.
“In terms of egos, it was tough,” admitted the French defender, who was also part of that squad, during a recent interview with RMC Sport. “We have to be honest with ourselves, and even they recognize it.”
During the two years the three stars played together, PSG had two different head coaches: Mauricio Pochettino and Christophe Galtier. Under both managers, the results were similar, as the club won Ligue 1 titles but failed in the UEFA Champions League, suffering Round of 16 eliminations against Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively.
Some blamed those failures on the incompatibility of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe’s playing styles, arguing it created a defensive imbalance for the team. Others, however, believed the issues were more related to the chemistry between them off the field, something Kimpembe appeared to acknowledge when discussing the players’ egos.
Presnel Kimpembe playing for PSG.
“Now people will say it could never work because we didn’t win a Champions League with the three of them, even though it was a legendary team,” the defender added. “I’m very happy to have played with them. I’m very proud to have shared the field with players of that caliber. If someone had told me that 15 years ago, I would never have believed it.”
see also
Messi, Neymar and Mbappé’s inability to fit together at PSG described by Mauricio Pochettino
Kimpembe speaks about Mbappe
Of the three stars, Presnel Kimpembe had the closest relationship with Kylian Mbappe because of the years they spent together at PSG and their shared nationality, which also allowed them to play together for the France national team. Based on that experience, he gave his opinion on how criticism affects the forward.
“The media are very critical of him… Mbappe has always been criticized in Paris,” Kimpembe recalled. “He grew up with that, so this is nothing new for him. Mbappe has incredible mental strength. He’s very strong.”
Finally, the former PSG defender expressed confidence in what Kylian can do despite such a hostile environment: “Mbappe has already shown it, both at PSG and with the French national team. Even at Real Madrid. He is capable of leading the team and lifting it… Kylian is a truly great player, everyone knows that.”
