Sent off against Betis, Ethan Mbappé redeems himself with class, says Rami

Ethan Mbappé transformed an embarrassing red card into a lesson in fair play. Sent off early in the second half for an elbow to an opponent’s face during Lille’s defeat to Real Betis (2-3) on the opening day of the Champions League, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder immediately sought to make amends.

In the dressing room after the match, the Montreuil native apologized to his teammates, then posted a message on social media. He also gave a bottle of wine to his coach Davide Ancelotti. Last Sunday against Troyes, when celebrating his first Ligue 1 goal of the season, Mbappé turned to Lille supporters to reiterate his regrets publicly.

These gestures did not escape Adil Rami. The former Lille defender and 2018 World Cup winner praised the approach of Kylian’s younger brother. “That’s class, that’s wisdom,” he said. “What happened a few days ago is part of his progression. Obviously, he had to apologize to his supporters. He did it properly and intelligently.”

Rami sees in this episode a sign of growing maturity in a player still developing. “He’s very young, he’s making progress. You can see it, every year he takes a step forward. He’s gaining stature and confidence. And now he’s putting in some great performances,” he concluded.

Lille is still awaiting UEFA’s decision on a possible additional suspension related to the incident.