His statement about Kylian Mbappé did not go down well in Paris, but according to Julian Nagelsmann he was misunderstood. “It was not an attack on PSG,” said the Bayern Munich coach.
Nagelsmann reacted last week to the news that Kylian Mbappé might be missing from the Champions League match between Bayern and Paris Saint-Germain due to an injury: “I think he is just there and so we are preparing for a PSG with Mbappe.”
That reaction was not well received in Paris. “I don’t have to respond to that,” said coach Christophe Galtier. “I’ve read his comments and that’s enough. He’s not the club’s style, nor mine.”
On Friday, Nagelsmann clarified what he meant by his statements. “I have read a lot about my ‘attack’ on PSG. I can explain it very simply. If a journalist asks me if I would change my approach if a player drops out, and I say that I would change everything and then we lose, everyone will say: ‘What kind of idiot is that Nagelsmann, he lets himself be fooled’ . I’m preparing like he’s playing because I’m not 100 percent sure he’s missing.”
“It’s like now with Messi, I don’t know if he’s injured. So I prepare the team like they’re both going to play. But that’s not an attack on PSG, it’s self-defense. I don’t want to look like an idiot. Suppose I adjust our preparation and they still play.”
“In general, Paris is better with Messi and Mbappe than without, there is no doubt about that. These are two players with very special skills that also make a difference. But they have an excellent selection.”
The first meeting between PSG and Bayern is scheduled for next Tuesday.
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