Real Madrid News
Mbappe underlines UCL ambitions amid links to Real Madrid: “I’ll never be satisfied”
It has been close to a month since Kylian Mbappe revealed his disinterest in renewing his contract with PSG. The player’s statement took the world of football by storm, reopening talks of the player’s potential destinations.
However, Mbappe has been largely coy about his exit ever since. Though Real Madrid sprung back into the race immediately, there has been little contribution towards negotiations from the Frenchman’s end.
Earlier today, the youngster spoke to L’Equipe and France Football after being awarded the best French player of the 2022-23 season. On this occasion, however, he did not hold back. As revealed by MARCA, he put out some explosive comments over his situation in France, starting from why he desired to leave Ligue 1.
“Reasons to believe it’s my last season in Ligue 1? It’s very simple. I’m a competitor, when I play, it’s to win. It doesn’t matter who I play with, what shirt I wear or where I play, I never settle. I just want to win, win the Champions League. I’ll never be satisfied.”
Paris Saint-Germain’s cursed run in the UEFA Champions League is one of the fundamental factors pushing Mbappe out. Despite boasting a star-studded squad in recent seasons, the Parisiens have failed to hold their own in the competition.
“I don’t know what PSG needs to do to win the Champions League. It’s not a question for me. We did what we could. Ask the people that built the team, who built this club,” the young phenom said when asked about the reason for repeated setbacks in the UCL.
The youngster’s fiery statements just continued, as he went on to call his current team ‘divided’ and a constant target for media.
“I think that playing at PSG does not help much because it is a divided team, a divided club. So, of course, it attracts gossip but it doesn’t bother me because I know what I’m doing.”
The 24-year-old has proven to be a match-winner on the biggest of stages time and time again in his short career so far. He reiterated the need for a competitive club to match his wavelength, saying,
“I don’t want to be in a team just there to participate. That’s why sometimes people think I’m arrogant. Because I just hate participating. It’s not in my nature.”
Finally, Mbappe highlighted how he wishes to follow in the footsteps of some of football’s greats and the need for him to change scenery to bring out his best level.
“Myself, I trivialized what Messi was doing, what Cristiano Ronaldo was doing, what the great players were doing. We are in a consumer society, where it’s good, but do it again,” he said.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
