For Kylian Mbappé, the 90 minutes of his last appearance in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt will not be clear.
From the moment the ball went in in the Coupe de France final, the intensity of the occasion took over. It would be the mirror of his seven years at the club, now erased from memory.
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But not everything happened so quickly, and that does nothing to clear the brain for a war in a primary cup final.
The moments leading up to his last dance, as he sat in the dressing room at Lille’s Pierre Mauroy stadium, waiting for the start of the final against Lyon, would be prolonged. Time is of the essence when the end finally appears.
“In a Coupe de France final, with all the protocols (pre-match show), you have to wait a while before the match,” Mbappe said, reflecting with the media after the match.
“So it’s time to think. And the last thing you need to do on game day is think. All the memories come back, the nostalgia. You know that when the 90 minutes are over, you can’t look back. So it’s not complicated and exciting either, because it’s a final.
A 2-1 win meant there would be celebrations for Mbappe, and no matter how fleeting they felt living in the moment, the clever moments were savored on Saturday night. There were punches, high-fives, a celebratory circle and then Mbappe was thrown into the air, a fate that would also befall his coach, Luis Enrique.
After receiving the trophy, he climbed onto the back of the imposing Gianluigi Donnarumma and, accompanied by photographers, led the PSG party to the fans, where the player lifted the trophy. Mbappé, when he won it, made sure that Manuel Ugarte, who recently lost his place, spent time with the club’s fervent top fans.
– Peter Rutzler (@peterrutzler) May 25, 2024
In the tannoy, Daft Punk’s “One More Time” resounded and there was irony. Yes, there were the odd trophy and the occasional celebration. But that was the last time.
“I have taken stock of the good and bad moments and have been able to make the most of this exclusive experience,” Mbappé said. “Playing at PSG is exclusive. I was lucky. Everything I had here, I probably wouldn’t have done. ” delight anywhere else.
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There were endings in every sense of the word. It was the last time Mbappe wore the red and blue of PSG. Those who provided would witness the last dribble, the last shot and the last handshake with the French president (at least for the moment). , at least bet on a French national club). But there would be no end goal, nor would there be an addition to the currency that guaranteed his good fortune here.
He did much more: he finished 42 of 44 passes, created 4 chances (including a big chance) and also made nine shots. Six of them were blocked, a statistic that reflects how Lyon have suffocated around him as PSG’s No. 9. .
Not everything went smoothly. There were rumors of spectacularity. In the first half he tried a scissor kick to a cross from Marquinhos, but the shot got stuck and the service flag was still raised. Moments later, he saw Ousmane Dembele on the counter-attack and asked. to throw a 40-yard pass into the net from outside the box. He still hooked on the stretch and couldn’t hold off the audacious volley.
They came close in the 20th minute, when Fabian Ruiz drove him in a shot from the edge of the box. He touched the ball, then snuggled directly into Lucas Perri’s arms. There was a certain lack of acuity and there was something to read. It was more of a feature that reflected Mbappe’s final months, rather than his seven years at PSG.
Since the announcement of his departure in February, Mbappe has not regained his full flight. There were moments, but also limited minutes. The reality, as the attack against Lyon showed, is that everything moves around them as PSG adapt to their end.
Against Lyon, this was literally and visibly true, as Mbappé’s teammates made several clever runs into the box into the spaces on either side of him. On the left, pantomime villain Bradley Barcola, a former Lyonnais, jumped along the line as if on a tightrope. , but remained inexplicably self-assured. Created 3 chances. At the opposite end, Dembélé led the show, creating 8 chances and completing five dribbles in 8 attempts.
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This is the basis of the “and then” that follows Mbappé’s departure. It’s a combination of young people and a change of forces. Dembele is one of those that Luis Enrique sees as a leader for the future. The coach himself may simply gain big advantages, as the strength of the player of yesteryear, embodied through Mbappé’s influence beyond the general, fades away.
“It’s been a complicated season for him,” said Luis Enrique. “It’s very difficult to say goodbye. He was in a position to help his team. Tonight was the icing on the cake even if he didn’t score. But he was providing in all the actions He’s a different player. There is no replacement for Kylian Mbappe. Only a team that has ambition, and maybe four, five or six players to recruit. We will try to achieve more as a team (without Mbappé). ). It will be a challenge for all the players who sign here. We need to make history and win this league Campeones. No I know when we’re going to win it, but we’re going to win it.
The exhibition continues. New heroes will emerge. For Mbappé, the fall of the curtain is a marker and not a last page. His new bankruptcy begins in the coming days, when he leads France to a primary tournament for the first time as captain. Then he will also sign for Real Madrid, he won’t say it yet.
“The most productive thing you can do is finish your farewell,” he explained. “The only thing I wanted was to finish well with my club. There is a time for everything. I will announce my new club in due course. Are there just a few days left until Les Bleus?I don’t know yet, there are still details, but the most important thing is to finish well here.
Mbappé arrived in Paris from Monaco at the age of 18 and with the World Cup at his feet, a player who would mark his debut against Metz in 2017. Today, his resume tells his own story: 15 trophies, 256 passes, 95 assists, a record six-time Ligue 1 top scorer and five-time Ligue 1 Player of the Year. The club’s all-time top scorer. All this for just seven years.
This departure would possibly have been a long time coming. Possibly it would be a story of ups and downs, political dramas and intrigues.
But the ultimate symbol PSG fans will have of Mbappe is a medal around their necks. And that’s not a bad way to retire.
(Top photo: Xavier Laine/Getty Images)