Former France midfielder Emmanuel Petit has accused Kylian Mbappe of bringing “selfishness” to Real Madrid following their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.
The 27-year-old forward moved to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2024 but has only secured the UEFA Super Cup despite his prolific individual goalscoring.
His former club Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, claimed their first-ever Champions League title immediately after his departure.
A ‘fiasco’ at the Bernabeu
Mbappe was on target against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena but could not prevent a late European collapse by Los Blancos.
Petit, who lifted the 1998 World Cup with Les Bleus, believes the lightning-fast striker’s arrival has disrupted the team dynamic in Spain.
“It’s not solely Mbappe’s fault, but his arrival filled the Real Madrid dressing room with selfishness. It’s a fiasco.”
The ex-Arsenal and Chelsea player contrasted Madrid’s current struggles with the newfound unity in the French capital.
“The timing really works against him. Since PSG have been playing like a team, they have been phenomenal.”
Camavinga red card proves costly
Despite his heavy criticism of the attacker, Petit reserved the primary blame for the recent Munich defeat for another compatriot.
Eduardo Camavinga was dismissed in the 86th minute of the clash after collecting two yellow cards.
The tie was evenly poised before the midfielder’s marching orders allowed the German giants to strike twice late on.
“If anyone needs to be blamed, it’s Camavinga. His foul was catastrophic.”
This is not the first time Petit has taken aim at the former Parisian.
He previously labelled the goalscorer an “attention-seeker” and questioned his fitness to captain the national side following their Euro 2024 elimination by Spain.
Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Diego Gomez was forced off in tears with a serious injury during their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Paraguay international landed awkwardly following an aerial challenge and appeared to be in significant distress.
Medical staff immediately attended to the midfielder on the pitch before he was prematurely withdrawn from the action.
The visibly upset South American was consoled by teammates as he made his way toward the tunnel.
International prospects jeopardised
This untimely physical setback raises immediate concerns regarding his availability for upcoming national team duties.
The 21-year-old had been expected to feature prominently for his country at a major international tournament in North America this summer.
Club medical staff will now conduct thorough scans to assess the exact extent of the damage and establish a recovery timeline.
A prolonged absence would represent a significant blow to the Seagulls’ domestic campaign and their midfield depth.
Cameron Archer scored a magnificent late winner as Southampton secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Swansea City to maintain their push for automatic promotion.
The Saints travelled to Wales looking to extend their remarkable recent surge in the Championship standings.
Despite falling behind to a resilient home side, the south coast club demonstrated immense character to eventually turn the game around.
Saints maintain promotion charge
This crucial away victory ensures the visitors keep the pressure firmly applied on the teams currently occupying the automatic promotion spots in England’s second tier.
The decisive moment arrived late in the tightly contested match when the young forward found the back of the net with a superb finish.
His late intervention proved to be the difference on an afternoon where momentum shifted dramatically between the two sides.
Archer delivers decisive blow
The final whistle leaves the Welsh club reflecting on a missed opportunity after failing to hold onto their earlier advantage in front of their own supporters.
Meanwhile, the travelling fans will return home confident that a swift return to the Premier League remains a highly realistic ambition.
Marissa Sheva’s first-half strike secured a vital 1-0 victory for the Republic of Ireland against Poland at the Aviva Stadium, cementing their grip on third place in World Cup qualifying Group A2.
Carla Ward’s squad endured a tense evening in Dublin to grind out their second triumph over the Poles in the space of four days.
The hosts entered the fixture having edged a thrilling 3-2 encounter in Gdansk on Tuesday, establishing crucial momentum for this return leg.
Sheva strikes after early scare
The visitors almost silenced the 18,000-strong crowd when Nadia Kreyzman’s cutback found Ewa Pajor, who rippled the side-netting with a fierce first-time effort.
That early warning sparked the home team into immediate action at the opposite end of the pitch.
Denise O’Sullivan’s deflected delivery fell to Emily Murphy, who rattled the crossbar with a sliding attempt before Sheva blazed the rebound wide.
Following a goal-line clearance from Oliwia Wos to deny Aoife Mannion, the deadlock was finally broken four minutes before the interval.
Kyra Carusa drove powerfully down the left flank, forcing a touch from goalkeeper Kinga Szemik that fell perfectly for the arriving midfielder to tap in her fifth international goal.
Holding firm for a crucial advantage
The home side pushed for a cushion after the restart, with Szemik parrying away a long-range drive from Megan Connolly.
Their best chance of the second period fell to the influential O’Sullivan, who skilfully lifted the ball over a defender before volleying against the woodwork.
A defensive mix-up in the closing minutes presented Pajor with a late opportunity, but the striker scuffed her shot as the hosts held firm.
Prior to this international window, manager Carla Ward stated her clear objective was to secure six points and take control of the race for third place.
Having successfully navigated tight encounters against a dangerous Polish side, the manager will be thrilled by her team’s resilience.
This flawless week leaves the Irish holding a commanding five-point advantage over their Group A2 rivals with just two matches remaining.
Securing third place would mathematically guarantee a more favourable play-off draw for next year’s tournament in Brazil.
Bournemouth extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 13 games with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park, dealing a severe blow to the hosts’ European qualification hopes.
Adrien Truffert secured all three points for the visitors with a dramatic 85th-minute strike.
The late winner compounded a miserable afternoon for Eddie Howe’s side following their recent successive defeats to Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
Iraola’s farewell tour gathers momentum
The Cherries showed no signs of distraction after manager Andoni Iraola announced earlier this week that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
His high-pressing team dominated the early exchanges and deservedly took the lead just after the half-hour mark.
Marcus Tavernier silenced the home crowd by tapping in a precise pass from Rayan to cap off a dominant spell.
The visitors could have doubled their advantage shortly after, but Evanilson failed to convert an excellent delivery from Alex Scott.
VAR intervention and injury concerns
Newcastle desperately needed inspiration and found it when club captain Bruno Guimaraes returned from a two-month injury absence as a second-half substitute.
The Brazilian’s introduction immediately lifted the atmosphere, and the Tyneside outfit drew level in the 68th minute through Will Osula.
Although the assistant referee initially raised the offside flag, VAR intervened to award the goal after replays showed Bournemouth’s Evanilson took the final touch in the build-up.
However, the momentum shifted again when Tino Livramento was forced off with a suspected groin injury.
The defender’s premature exit raises serious concerns about his availability for the remainder of the domestic campaign and England’s upcoming World Cup squad.
Truffert delivers the final blow
With the home side reorganising defensively, Bournemouth ruthlessly capitalised in the dying moments of the match.
Truffert initiated a sweeping counter-attack before arriving in the penalty area to emphatically finish an exchange involving Tavernier and Evanilson.
The result leaves Newcastle slipping further away from the European qualification places as their inability to close out matches continues to haunt them.
The Premier League has guaranteed a fifth Champions League place for next season following Arsenal’s quarter-final victory over Sporting in Lisbon.
Kai Havertz scored a late winner to ensure the English top flight finishes among the top two nations in Uefa’s European Performance Standings.
This marks the second consecutive year that England has benefited from the expanded 36-team tournament format.
Last season saw an unprecedented six English clubs qualify for Europe’s premier competition.
How a sixth spot could be secured
A sixth domestic side could still join the continental elite if an English club wins the Europa League.
Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will face off in an all-English semi-final after overcoming Bologna and Porto respectively.
That domestic clash guarantees Premier League representation in the Istanbul final against either Freiburg or Braga.
However, for the additional sixth spot to be activated, the Europa League winners must finish outside the league’s top five places.
Overcoming early exits
The qualification milestone arrives despite a largely underwhelming knockout stage for several English heavyweights.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle and Tottenham all suffered last-16 eliminations, temporarily threatening the nation’s coefficient ranking.
The Gunners’ continued success has now eased those fears and officially secured the extra European berth.
Aston Villa currently sit fourth in the domestic standings and remain the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the Europa League trophy.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has urged club owners Fenway Sports Group to reverse planned ticket price increases at Anfield following widespread fan backlash.
The Merseyside club announced intentions last month to raise admission costs in line with inflation over the next three years.
Executives cited an 85 per cent climb in match-day running expenses over the last decade as the primary catalyst for the hike.
‘Absolute nonsense’
However, the 46-year-old pundit believes the minimal financial gain is massively outweighed by the resulting supporter anger.
“No owners of any club are ever popular but they have been absolutely fantastic for us,” Carragher told the Liverpool Echo.
“But I don’t understand the ticket price thing in terms of how much they are bringing in from sponsorship and the revenue from the Premier League.”
“This idea that they need to up ticket prices to pay for these players, it’s absolute nonsense.”
Fan protests and financial realities
Opponents highlight that the estimated £1.2m generated from the increase represents a negligible amount for an organisation whose annual turnover recently exceeded £700m.
Prominent supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly coordinated protests during last week’s 2-0 victory over Fulham.
Fans engaged in a boycott of stadium concourse facilities and directed vocal chants against the club’s hierarchy during the match.
“The supporters are not daft, the intelligent ones can put the numbers together and say well you’re only going to gain a small amount,” Carragher added.
General admission tickets are projected to increase by between £3 and £4.50 per match over the proposed three-year timeframe.
Chelsea have definitively ruled out a summer move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior, ending speculation of a record-breaking £138m transfer to Stamford Bridge.
The Brazilian international’s representatives have reportedly toured Europe attempting to secure a high-profile move away from the Bernabeu.
However, the West London club have explicitly indicated they possess no interest in acquiring the prolific winger during the upcoming window.
Contract stalemate in Madrid
The attacker currently holds a contract with the Spanish giants that runs until the summer of 2027.
Real Madrid are understood to be willing to sanction a sale at the end of the current campaign if he refuses to commit his long-term future.
Earlier this year, reports suggested the Blues were preparing an unprecedented financial package that would have shattered the British transfer record.
South American football journalist Leonardo Bertozzi had previously contextualised the mounting pressure surrounding the player’s contract situation.
“The Chelsea offer, for now, is just speculation.”
“It’s clear that the longer Vinicius waits to renew, the more talk there will be about his future because he only has 18 months left on his contract.”
“The most logical thing if he doesn’t sign is for him to be sold this year because Real Madrid wouldn’t let him reach the end of his contract and leave for free.”
European elite decline approach
Despite the ongoing uncertainty in the Spanish capital, fresh claims indicate a widespread lack of appetite for the superstar’s signature.
French reporter Romain Molina states that intermediaries have offered the former Flamengo youth product to numerous elite clubs without any success.
Molina claims that no major European side is currently considering a summer move for the player.
The journalist specifically noted that even historically heavy-spending teams remain entirely uninterested in pursuing the forward.
Targeted recruitment strategy
The Premier League side are instead focusing on a precise summer rebuild spearheaded by sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.
Management at Stamford Bridge are already conducting detailed internal conversations regarding specific areas of the squad that require strengthening.
The club maintains an aligned vision on future recruitment while remaining entirely focused on immediate domestic success.
The team returns to Premier League action this Saturday evening as they welcome Manchester United to the capital.