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L’Equipe worries ‘clouds are gathering’ over French national team after day Kylian Mbappe takes on ‘controversial’ FFF president Noel le Graet, Paul Pogba discusses being held at GUNPOINT – and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris pulls withdraw from the selection
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‘Clouds are gathering’ over the French national team, with growing concern that the world champions have been separated for months ahead of the World Cup in Qatar.
Daily French newspaper L’Equipe centered their front page on Tuesday on a day when all the talk around the team came off the pitch, with Kylian Mbappe challenging image rights rules, Paul Pogba opening when he was held at gunpoint and Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris being forced to withdraw pull due to injury.
‘With two months to go before the start of the Cup, the clouds are gathering over the FFF’, read L’Equipe’s cover.
“With Noel le Graet an increasingly controversial president, the Pogba affair, the revision of the image rights deal under pressure from the players and a series of injuries, the French team is going through a turbulent period.”
Turbulence seems to be putting it mildly.
L’Equipe worries ‘clouds are gathering’ over French national team ahead of World Cup
Kylian Mbappe (left) and Paul Pogba (right) have both dominated headlines off the pitch, with Mbappe challenging image rights and holding Pogba details at gunpoint
Monday’s most significant development came when Mbappe reportedly refused to participate in a national team photo shoot over a long-running image rights dispute.
News of his reported refusal came in mid-afternoon and by early evening the FFF reacted, eager to avoid any media war with their star attacker.
The FFF confirmed that they will investigate the situation surrounding players’ image rights and, according to RMC SportsMbappé will participate in a media session on Tuesday in light of an agreement to change the rules.
Their statement read: “After close discussions with the French team’s executives, the president, the coach and a marketing manager, the FFF has committed to review as soon as possible the image rights agreement it grants to the players of the national team.” team binds. ‘
It continued: “The FFF looks forward to working on the outline of a new agreement that will allow it to protect its interests, taking into account the legitimate concerns and beliefs expressed unanimously by the players.”
In March, this was an issue that made the rounds when Mbappé led a boycott among the French team of certain sponsors, citing concerns about gambling companies and fast food brands, as reported by Get French Football News.
Mbappe was angry because gambling company Winimax mocked his father earlier this year
But the Mbappé saga was just one part of a day when the FFF was bombarded by scandal and distraction.
Manager Didier Deschamps was confronted by Paul Pogba’s latest police statement, in which he claimed he agreed to pay two gunmen after being held at gunpoint during an alleged extortion attempt.
Describing what went through his mind as he came face to face with the gunmen, Pogba told police via Le Monde: ‘I was scared. The two boys turned their guns on me. So when I was held up like this, under threat, I told them I was going to pay.’
Hugo Lloris has withdrawn from France’s squad for the Nations League matches
Pogba’s ordeal came to light last month when his brother Mathias threatened to share ‘explosive’ revelations about the former Manchester United star to the public.
Pogba is currently sidelined through injury and it remains unclear whether he can play a part in the World Cup, another devastating development in the lead up to their World Cup defense.
Injuries are a major concern and the fact that goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had to withdraw on Monday due to a thigh problem did little to allay the turmoil in the French media surrounding the team.
The goalkeeper is said to have suffered a thigh injury on Saturday during the 6-2 Premier League win over Leicester City.