French pundit Éric intimated that Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe was left stunned by Mike Maignan for a heated rant in the in the aftermath of their UEFA Nations League match, where France suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Italy.
This was the first time France appeared in the tournament after they were ousted in the Euro 2024 semi-final by Spain.
Maignan’s Fiery Dressing Room Speech
The French team started the match with a dream; within 12 seconds, Bradley Barcola put the ball in the back of the net.
From there, Italy fired back with goals from Federico Dimarco, Davide Frattesi, and Giacomo Raspadori.
A match that saw fans hit at Arsenal defeder William Saliba for his poor outing as reported by Sportsbuddy.
[WATCH]: Fans destroy William Saliba after horrow show in crunch UEFA Nations League clash to Italy
After the match, Maignan, visibly frustrated with his team’s attitude, reportedly delivered a two-minute tirade in the locker room, silencing stars like Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.
As quoted by L’Equipe, the AC Milan goalkeeper could not believe that Italy had fought harder and deserved the victory.
Calls for a Team Response
However, Maignan dismissed suggestions of discord by asserting, “Whatever happens in the dressing room, remains in the dressing room.” Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate also noted that while France is blessed with individual talents, they need to step up for the team.
He stated that the team display was poor and that they needed to respond. France face Belgium next as they look to bounce back from the defeat to Italy.
France and Belgium have been tough rivals over the past few years, with France being one of the favourites to win Euro 2024 before their recent performances slip.
