Kylian Mbappé Calls for Unified Player Walkouts to Combat Racism in Football

When questioned about the racism that continues to prevail in the world of football in Europe, Kylian Mbappé believes that it is time to act to banish this phenomenon from the stadiums. "We have to all leave the field (EDITOR’S NOTE: when this happens). If we leave, we will understand that the situation is serious. [...] Complaining is no longer enough. With PSG we did it with Basaksehir in the Champions League in 2020 and the match was replayed," he said in an interview with the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The captain of the French national team intends to "fight" to "awaken the conscience of each one" on this subject. "Racism goes beyond football. Even the institutions must change: if they are lax, they facilitate. In 2023, we can no longer allow a minority to spoil the pleasure of football: beyond the money and the celebrity, we play to pass on to the supporters the pleasure of playing and watching football. If they call you a monkey, you no longer feel like doing it," he explains.

Regarding the recent letter addressed to the leaders of his club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Kylian Mbappé specifies that he has "only confirmed not wanting to activate the additional year provided for in the contract. With PSG, we have never discussed an extension, but I am happy to stay here next season." Champion of France with the Parisian club, the 24-year-old striker mentions "shortcomings that, sooner or later, we were going to end up paying for", an allusion to the elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League.

"We have to learn from the mistakes of each season, not to repeat them every time," says Mbappé, who also spoke about Lionel Messi’s departure. "It’s never good news when someone like Messi leaves,