Mbappé absent against Italy: tension with Zidane behind the scenes, according to Hanouna

Kylian Mbappé is expected to miss France’s trip to Italy on Thursday evening in Milan in the Nations League. Zinédine Zidane confirmed on Wednesday at a press conference that he would take “zero risk” with his captain, who has a thigh injury. But behind the official version, another story is circulating.

Cyril Hanouna claimed in his show on W9 to have “exclusive information” about the Real Madrid player’s absence. According to him, Mbappé simply declined to participate in the match. “He doesn’t really feel it, he doesn’t really want to play,” he said, adding that the France captain considered the match a low priority given the context — many players being injured in the squad.

Still according to the broadcaster, this attitude allegedly provoked a strong reaction from Zidane. “Zinédine Zidane won’t be as nice to Kylian Mbappé as Didier Deschamps was,” he claimed, suggesting that the manager himself decided to drop his captain in response to what he describes as “tantrums”. Hanouna also claimed that the atmosphere within the squad has deteriorated: “Things are going very, very badly with his teammates and therefore with Zidane.”

These claims remain unconfirmed by the French Football Federation or the parties involved — Hanouna himself anticipated a denial. Italian journalist Peppe Di Stefano from Sky Sport also indicated that Mbappé could ultimately come on as a substitute against the Nazionale, which would cast doubt on the hypothesis of a disciplinary exclusion.

The episode nonetheless illustrates the tensions surrounding the transition between Didier Deschamps and Zinédine Zidane at the helm of the French team, and the particular place Mbappé occupies in this new cycle.