This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
Paris St Germain manager Thomas Tuchel has dismissed Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane's admiration for forward Kylian Mbappe, warning him to stop fantasizing about signing the French star ahead of their Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Mbappe, who had a trial at Real Madrid as a youngster and came close to joining the club in 2017, has been a key player in France's 2018 World Cup triumph and has been remarkably prolific for PSG this season, scoring eight goals in six starts.
Real Madrid have struggled to find a suitable replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo since he left for Juventus in 2018, and Zidane has never hidden his desire to coach Mbappe, declaring his admiration for the forward at a news conference on Monday.
“I have known him for a long time as he came here for a trial and I have been in love with him since then, first of all as a person,” Zidane said.
However, Tuchel assured Zidane that Mbappe would not be leaving Paris, saying, “Sometimes the players you love the most are the ones you cannot have, but unfortunately for Zidane he is our player, although I’m sure he has a lot of players who he loves in his team.”
PSG lead Group A with 12 points from four games and have already sealed a place in the Champions League knockout stages, with a point or a win against Real, who are second on seven, would clinch top spot and a seeding in the last-16 draw.
