Kylian Mbappé has “almost” decided whether he will stay at Paris Saint-Germain or leave, but did not reveal his choice on Sunday during the UNFP Trophies ceremony where he received the distinction of best player of the season. “Yes, yes almost, it’s almost over,” he replied when asked if he had made up his mind, and that he would announce it “before” the team’s matches. France in June in the League of Nations, he said in the mixed zone.
The Blues receive Denmark on June 3, he could put an end to the suspense and announce if he stays or if he leaves, probably to Real Madrid. Pressed with questions on the stage at the Pavillon Gabriel, Mbappé, at the end of his contract in June, did not drop a clue, but thanked “PSG, which allowed me to come here, my teammates, the coach” . “I continue my story, I continue to win, I’m never satisfied and it’s fun,” he added.
Present at the ceremony and in the team of the season, his captain Marquinhos only said: “I hope that next season he will win this trophy again”. “It’s always a great pleasure to be here, an honor, that’s why I insisted on coming,” he explained, just before flying to Qatar where his team performs a very short course of two days.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto, also a PSG striker, was voted best women’s player, in an evening that also crowned Mbappé’s teammate Gianluigi Donnarumma best goalkeeper, Rennais Bruno Genesio in coaching and Marseille defender William Saliba best hope. Both top scorer (25) and passer (17) in Ligue 1, Mbappé flew over the season with his talent and led PSG to their tenth league title, just as Michel Platini had guided Saint-Étienne to their tenth and final title. , in 1981.
Around the star of the evening, other trophies were distributed. Best player at the Euro last year and Yachine award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Gigio Donnarumma has added a trophy to his collection. The Italian has only played half a season, however, sharing the Paris cage with Keylor Navas, elected last year, enough to impress his peers (the players vote). Among the technicians, the regularity of Bruno Genesio is rewarded, for the new good season of Stade Rennais, 4th and still in the race for the Champions League, and for the spectacular game developed by his team, second best attack in L1 (80 goals behind the untouchable PSG (85 goals).
Among the Espoirs, after the reign of Mbappé, elected from 2017 to 2019 (no UNFP trophies in 2020, season truncated by the Covid, editor’s note), central defender William Saliba succeeds Aurélien Tchouaméni, whom he joined this season in French team. The public, electorate of the best goal of the season, voted for the return of Bamba Dieng (OM) against Strasbourg.
In Ligue 2, the Dutchman Branco Van den Boomen brought Toulouse back to Ligue 1 by multiplying the assists, 20, to which must be added 12 goals, figures which brought him to the title of best player in his league. Téfé also received the best coach award for Philippe Montanier, and the other directly promoted, AC Ajaccio, saw its goalkeeper Benjamin Leroy crowned. Among the women, the international Marie-Antoinette Katoto, top scorer in Division 1 (18 goals), succeeds her teammate Kadidiatou Diani, even if the PSG were taken out by Lyon in the semi-finals of the Champions League and did not has more than a theoretical chance of retaining his title.
Karim Benzema, one of the favorites for the next Ballon d’Or (now awarded at the end of the season and no longer at the end of the year), was voted best Frenchman abroad for the third time in a row. He is expected in Saint-Denis for the Real Madrid-Liverpool Champions League final on May 28. The final will be refereed by Clément Turpin, but it was Benoît Bastien this time who was voted the best whistle in Ligue 1. Will he still referee Mbappé next season?
