Paris: Kylian Mbappe insisted his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar is “human like everyone else” after the Brazilian was reduced to tears on Friday by the controversy that has followed him since his arrival from Barcelona.
A tearful Neymar pleaded with the media to stop the “false stories” about his alleged frosty relations with PSG coach Unai Emery and fellow striker Edinson Cavani following Brazil’s 3-1 international friendly win over Japan in Lille.
The 25-year-old said he was “hurt” by the issue, before adding that he was “really happy” in Paris following his world-record 222-million-euro ($264 million) transfer in August.
Mbappe, Neymar and Cavani have linked up to devastating effect this season, with the trio combining to score 24 goals through PSG’s first 12 league matches.
But Mbappe conceded Neymar was just as susceptible to criticism as anyone else. “It just simply proves that he’s human like everyone else. He’s like us, he has two arms, two legs, a heart, so he can be affected by the criticism he is subjected to,” Mbappe told French television channel TF1 on Sunday.
“From the outside he gives off a certain image, he doesn’t appear to be affected ... But when you’re on the inside, he opens himself up to you, he shows he’s a normal person.
“He’s incredibly strong on the pitch that you think he’s just as strong off it, but away from it he remains a normal guy.”
Meanwhile, the sacked veteran Patrice Evra was backed by former Marseille teammate Steve Mandanda on Sunday.
“He’s a really good guy,” the Marseille goalkeeper said of the 36-year-old Evra, who parted ways with the club after being banned from European football until June 30, 2018.
“I’m very disappointed for Pat, a true friend and a real good guy. We have lost a leader,” said Mandanda of the former France captain who also played 379 times for Manchester United.
Evra had been widely condemned for the assault on a Marseille fan which took place ahead of a Europa League tie at Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes last week.
And Mandanda acknowledged his former teammate had made a major error.
“As a professional you need to set an example and this is not the kind of thing you can do,” he said. “But he’s only human and the circumstances shouldn’t have been like they were either.”
At the match in question a group of fans had come to the pitchside to harangue the player.
France coach Didier Deschamps described Evra’s sanction as heavy on Friday.
“I’m neither condemning him nor judging him,” said Deschamps, for whom Evra played at Monaco and with France.
“But it’s something that you just can’t do and he knows that.”
