Kylian Mbappe: The phenomenon that breathes and sleeps football

Located in a sumptuous corner of France, AS Monaco's famous football academy has produced some of the biggest stars of the game.

Four integral parts of the historical team – Thierry Henry, Lilian Thuram, Emmanuel Petit and David Trezeguet – were fed there

But there is a new star who has since emerged and who has the ability to surpass them: Kylian Mbappe .

The teenager probably shone more than any other player in Russia, winning the young player award in the tournament and leading his country to only his second World Cup triumph. In the lead-up to the World Cup final between France and Croatia, CNN Sport met with Vadim Vasilyev, Vice President of AS Monaco, who played a key role in the signing of his first professional contract with League Club 1.

When did you first see playing football and what were your first thoughts and feelings?

"When I heard about him, my colleagues said: have a very talented boy, we have to sign it." Then I said, "What is the problem? Let's sign it. "They said it was not easy and it turned out that there were complications.

" It was not really very happy and actually he wanted to go in. I started seeing his parents and watching him at workout and I sent him into the first team to coach with our coach (Leonardo) Jardim, they said, "Wow, how come this boy is in our academy and I did not know it." We built a trusting relationship and then he signed his professional contract. "[19659004] I was expecting him to be a star, but did you think everything would happen even before he was 20 years old?

"Two years ago, or maybe even more, I knew that it was a phenomenon.It's not just 'very good', this n & # 39; He is not a "top", he is a phenomenal player.

"He has all the ingredients, so of course everything happened very quickly; Become champion of France with us, in half Final of the Champions League and now in the World Cup.All went fast, but if you know the quality that he has and the kind of person that he is, I'm not really surprised. 19659004] "Of course it happened faster than anyone could imagine, even himself. for sure. But he does it at this level and I'm not surprised at all. He did it at the academy level, Ligue 1 level, then two years ago (seasons) he did it in the Champions League, the famous match against Manchester City where he exploded.

"He played against Manchester City at an incredible level in front of everyone in football.This just confirmed what we always knew, it's an incredible talent and this boy will become one of best – it's not already – one of the best in the world. "

What are you doing? think it's about him, aside from his incredible talent, which allowed him to reach the top so quickly?

"He breathes football, sleeps football, in fact nothing else comes to him in the spirit.It did not even come out when we won the title there is two years old

"All the boys went to celebrate and he was so tired that he just went home. He is really dedicated and he has a very competitive spirit, he wants to break all the records.

"It reminds me a little Cristiano Ronaldo, because I know him as well, because he knows all the records and he still wants to be the youngest player on the field to score, the youngest player to win this cup, to win the title.

"So, he is a good competitor, he is also stubborn and he does not play, he feels bad. He is, like, sick he's not playing. He also has a big family, I know mother and father well, I saw father yesterday.

"They are an extraordinary family who support him, they are next to him, they are very smart people and they are a very good family, so all the ingredients are there."

"When you talk to him, you do not talk to a 19-year-old boy, you talk to a 30 or 25 years old at least. There is maturity. Trying to find a weak point, I can not. So, of course, you can never say how long it will take him to win the Gold Ball, but he will be here soon for sure. "

What does he look like as a person?" It looks like he remained humble despite his rapid rise to the top

"I told him I talked, we spent time together after winning the French title, he always had it in him. He knew it would happen, he did not know how or when, but he believed in him and he knew his destiny was to become a big, tall and great player and he was very sure of himself.

"It's like he knew, he's always worked so hard and now it's happening and, of course, it's gone quickly but he had it at it. It was, of course, surprised that it happened so fast but in the end it was ready because that was what it was. he thought, dreamed, worked, he knew he would, one day he would do it. "

People compared him to Thierry Henry, starting as a winger and starting a career in Monaco. Do you see the comparisons?

"I know Kylian and he does not like to be compared, he respects Thierry a lot but he does not want to be compared to anyone."

"He is himself and he will write his own story in football and I agree with that. Of course, you can find comparisons but I would not do that because I respect Thierry – I met him the other day, I have Thierry's jersey in my office, he just from our academy – but we should not compare and know that Kylian does not like it.

"He is himself and he has a tremendous talent and he will write his own story.We will be remembered as a Mbappe and not as someone who is compared to another great player "

Some of the greatest clubs in the world after him, how did Monaco convince him?

"I think we have offered the right sport project Historically, we have been one of the best, we just talked about the four winners of the 1998 World Cup coming from The Academy of Monaco is already a great statement, as great as it is, that we raise the talents and let them play.

"Chelsea has a fantastic academy but I do not know the players from Chelsea who play for the first team. That's what makes us different. There are other very good academies in the world of football but we give the boys the chance to play in the first team. "But I think it was a human relationship between the direction of our academy and his parents, so in the end they are really happy to have made the right choice."

"I know that He also visited Real Madrid. Zidane was coaching team B and they wanted it, they spent a week there but eventually they said we wanted to go to Monaco

"It's the right environment, good academy, there is enough pressure, but not too much, we have the right kind of pressure and we proved that they gave the best talented boys a chance, you can not beat that. "

Was it the right time to move or would you prefer that there remains one more season?

"I would have obviously preferred to stay an extra season, in the end, it was supposed to be, things started to go so fast, the offers we started to receive were Too big for us and then we had long conversations and we told ourselves "it's good timing" …

But it was a difficult decision. many, many meetings and lunches and dinners but I am very happy for him and I am very happy that we have kept a close relationship, so we made the right choice at the end.

"It was difficult for us because he went to a direct competitor. He explained me his choice. He comes from Paris and before going to a big club like Real Madrid or Manchester City, he wanted to write history in his own country and that is great.

"He knows that he has his life in front of him as a footballer and he wanted to write history in his own city and in his own country, and then I said to him," Ok Kylian, I can not stop me from doing that, it's your life, you have to decide "Of course, we would prefer that you go to Real Madrid but it's your life, it's not." not for us but we respect that. "

Do you feel proud that your club took him in childhood and fed him and now he's playing in a final of the World Cup?

"Very proud, very proud. When it was the France vs Argentina match that he won alone, it was an incredible feeling. It is a joy that we have helped him.

"He is also grateful to Monaco, of course, he would have succeeded anywhere, but it happened so quickly thanks to Monaco, we gave him the chance, we had an incredible season. , he participated.

"He was just amazing for the title (win) and semifinal of the Champions League. And now, a year later, the final of the World Cup. It's mind-boggling, but knowing the basic qualities and personality you understand from where it comes from. Okay, it's not a miracle, it's something that had to be. "

Neymar, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi – no big name shined at this World Cup, do you think Mbappe was the standout player at the tournament?

"Yes, definitely."

Have you spoken to him a lot lately? What does he think of the tournament and its performances?

"I saw him Sunday in their training camp. He is very happy of course but also very motivated, like the whole team. They understand that it is the moment, they have every chance that they are really focused.

"He is happy but at the same time he knows that he has to do more.He is happy for a moment or a few days but then he moves on to something else.This is what makes him special He knows that he intends to do more, his fate is to do more.Of course, he can have his ups and downs, but if you look, he will certainly go up. "[19659048] [ad_2]
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