France coach Didier Deschamps says that teenage forward Kylian Mbappe does not receive any special treatment in the team despite his status as an emerging superstar.
The 19-year-old has been a pivotal part of the France World Cup team that will meet Croatia in Sunday’s final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. He has scored three goals in the tournament so far while causing havoc for opposition defences with his speed and trickery.
“Kylian [Mbappe] is a hugely talented young player,” Deschamps told reporters on Saturday. “He has proved it once again at the World Cup, but I don’t have a special relationship with him. He’s one of our players who does the same job as the others do. He doesn’t have a special status… I pay more attention to the young players. Kylian is a very smart guy who knows what he wants.”
Meanwhile, Deschamps has urged his players to keep a cool head during the match, in which France will bid to win football’s most coveted trophy for a second time.
“We know that this is the World Cup, and that we’re playing in the final tomorrow,” he said.
“All my staff are focused on preparing the team in the best possible way. We need to analyze everything… We’re not euphoric.
“Yes, we feel satisfied to reach the final. The result [of the match] will show if we did everything right…. If something isn’t in our favour tomorrow, it’ll be bad.”