Revealed: Kylian Mbappe’s first words after finally joining Real Madrid… as striker says he wouldn’t wish PSG’s ‘violent’ treatment of him on anyone
- Real Madrid have announced the signing of Kylian Mbappe from PSG
- Mbappe will join on a free transfer after refusing to renew with the French team
- click here to follow the Mail Sport Euro 2024 WhatsApp channel for all the latest news and updates from Germany
Kylian Mbappe has spoken publicly for the first time since officially announcing his move to Real Madrid, admitting he is ‘relieved’ to be free from the shackles of PSG.
Mbappe will join Madrid as a free agent on a five-year contract, the LaLiga club confirmed on Monday, ending a transfer saga that raged on for years before the European champions secured their latest ‘Galactico’.
The confirmation officially makes one of the worst-kept secrets in football, with Mbappe having been heavily linked with a move to the Bernabeu Stadium for several months.
Mbappe is currently with the France squad preparing for Euro 2024 and will formally join Real after his involvement in the tournament ends.
The attacker addressed the news with the media during a press conference in Metz on Tuesday.
Kylian Mbappé spoke on Tuesday for the first time since his transfer to Real Madrid was announced
“It’s a great pleasure, a dream come true,” Mbappé said of a “very emotional moment.”
“I am very happy, liberated and relieved and very proud to go to this big club, the best in the world,” he added.
Asked about a period when he was sent to train with the reserves after refusing to renew his contract, Mbappe said: “They made me understand that I wouldn’t play for PSG. [and] at the club they violently told me to my face.
Mbappe admitted he was ‘relieved and liberated’ after being freed from Parc des Princes
‘Without [head coach] Luis Enrique and [Football Advisor] Luis Campos I wouldn’t have set foot on the field. They saved me. That is the truth.’
‘There’s a lot of pressure, but it’s just football and there are more serious things in life. I have always been taught not to cry,” Mbappe said.
‘I get paid handsomely to play football and do what I’m passionate about, while some get up to go to a factory and do backbreaking work.
‘I keep saying that what I’ve been through is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, so I think it’s inappropriate to come and complain when I see what’s going on. There are much worse things in the world.’
‘It’s a big relief, I’m very happy, I think you can see it in my face. At the end of the season I played a lot less and everyone knows why. That’s how it is: you have to adapt when you’re a high-level player.’
