Kylian Mbappe is said to have been left speechless after Mike Maignan’s dressing room speech following France’s 3-1 loss to Italy on Friday.
Les Bleus had a poor start to their 2024/25 UEFA Nations League campaign, falling to a defeat at the hands of Euro 2020 champions Italy despite opening the scoreline within the first minute.
Mbappe, whose life at Real Madrid has started on a fine note with three goals in five appearances, was unable to etch his name onto the scoresheet. But, following the humiliating defeat, it turned out to be the scenes in the dressing room that left an impact.
According to L’Equipe, France goalkeeper Maignan berated his team when they returned to the dressing room, criticising their lack of desire on the pitch. The report goes on to claim that captain Mbappe and vice-captain Antoine Griezmann had little to say while Maignan scathed the team.
Maignan berated the France squad after their Italy defeat / Catherine Steenkeste/GettyImages
When asked about the rant by reporters later, Maignan refused to reveal what was said behind closed doors.
“What is said in the locker room stays between us,” he said.
“We came up against a big team that defended well together. We have to move on. We can’t play every match with clean sheets. I’m having a hard time with it, the group is having a hard time with it.
“We’ll discuss it. There’s no need to worry. When you lose a match, it’s not the end of the world. We all have a role to play on the pitch. We know we have to do better, this French team has to win. We’re not going to make excuses, we’re going to question ourselves and move forward.”
France return to action on Monday when they face Belgium at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais.
