Ethan Mbappé offers fine Burgundy wine to Ancelotti to make amends for Champions League red card

Ethan Mbappé chose a grand cru to turn the page. After his red card in the 56th minute during LOSC’s 2-3 defeat to Real Betis in the Champions League, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder offered a bottle of Burgundy wine to his coach Davide Ancelotti as a gesture of contrition.

The incident that earned him the red card was hard to defend: after Real Betis’ third goal, the Montreuil native threw an elbow to the face of defender Natan. A moment of frustration that cost him his place in the next match, LOSC’s 2-0 home win over Troyes in Ligue 1, where he came on in the 70th minute before scoring the clinching goal late in the game. As he celebrated, he turned toward the supporters to apologize.

The apologies also took the form of a message posted on Instagram, followed by a more tangible gift for his coach. Davide Ancelotti confirmed the anecdote with a smile after the Troyes match: “He gave me a beautiful bottle of wine. He was very generous. I can’t say which bottle, but he was very generous.” Before adding, with a touch of humor: “Players who do that, I’m waiting for them every week in my office.”

The Lille coach then adopted a more serious tone to discuss the significance of this episode in the player’s development. “It was a very important week for him on an individual level to grow as a player and as a man,” he explained. “The relationship I have with him is like that of an older brother, let’s say.” A supportive framework that Kylian Mbappé’s younger brother seems to have appreciated.