Kylian Mbappe ‘sparked 60-man tunnel brawl’ after inspiring PSG’s comeback win over Barcelona… after the jubilant forward enraged the Catalans with a post-match comment
Kylian Mbappe reportedly sparked a 60-man brawl in the tunnel after Paris Saint-Germain’s comeback win over Barcelona to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
PSG secured a 4-1 victory over Barcelona in the quarter-final at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday.
Mbappe scored twice in the second half of the match as PSG fought back from a two-goal deficit to secure a 6–4 aggregate victory.
The Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo reported that a jubilant Mbappe enraged the Catalans in the tunnel after the match.
Mbappe had reportedly shouted ‘This is football and it is on the pitch where we need to talk’ as the players returned to the dressing rooms after the final whistle.
Kylian Mbappe reportedly sparked a 60-man brawl in the tunnel after infuriating Barcelona
Mbappe is said to have shouted: ‘This is football and it is on the pitch where we have to talk’ after PSG’s 6-4 win in the Champions League quarter-finals
Some Barcelona players reportedly felt that Mbappe had attacked them with his comment
It was claimed that more than one Barcelona player had interpreted Mbappe’s comment as being aimed at them, leading to members of the team attempting to fight the French superstar in the tunnel.
According to the report, a crowd of more than 60 people became involved in the tunnel incident, involving players, coaching staff and security personnel.
Despite the tension in the tunnel, there was no physical damage or injury to anyone.
It was also claimed that Mbappe gestured to Barcelona fans as he left the pitch and shouted ‘Let’s go’ in French.
The 25-year-old was also photographed hugging PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi before heading to the dressing room.
Mbappé is expected to face Barcelona frequently in the future, with the World Cup winner expected to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer.
The Spanish giants almost came into their own in 2022 as Mbappe made a late U-turn before signing a new contract with the Ligue 1 club.
Mbappe told PSG in February that he will leave the club when his contract expires this summer.
Mbappe scored twice late on to help PSG to a 6-4 aggregate win against Barcelona
The French superstar is expected to join Barcelona’s arch-rivals Real Madrid this summer
Reportedly, after the win over Barcelona, he was asked by journalists at a press conference: ‘Can you decide [to leave] change?’
It happened just as Mbappe was about to leave the media room, when the French captain turned to the reporter and said “No, no, no,” according to El Chiringuitoas he walked away.
Mbappe, who joined Paris from Monaco in 2017 initially on loan, has won five league titles with his hometown club while scoring 253 goals in 302 games in all competitions.
In recent years he has been at loggerheads with PSG over a new contract, with the club wanting him to extend his contract beyond 2025.
That has caused tensions to arise between both club and player, with the standoff widening after PSG stopped Mbappe from attending their 2023 tour of Japan and banned him from training with the B team after refusing to sign an extension.
PSG had also accused him of causing “permanent paralysis of the club” and said he should have treated his team better “after their years of unprecedented goodwill and devotion to him.”
Mbappe led PSG’s celebrations after the Ligue 1 side reached the semi-finals of the Champions League
Kylian Mbappe claimed he would not reconsider leaving PSG after his side’s victory over Barcelona
Despite all that, Mbappe admitted to reporters that he wants to win the iconic Champions League trophy that has eluded him for so many years at PSG.
“I have the dream to win the Champions League for Paris,” Mbappe told reporters.
‘I am proud to have been with PSG since day one. Just because there are good times and bad times doesn’t mean my pride takes a hit.
‘The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it is something special for me who grew up there.
‘To experience such an evening as a Parisian is wonderful. We have one more step to go before we reach the final at Wembley, so we have to stay calm.”
Paris will now play Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals after they too came back to beat Atletico Madrid on Tuesday following defeat in the first leg of their quarter-final.