Daniel Riolo believes PSG ‘fans will prefer’ lots of other players over Kylian Mbappé

On the 4th of March 2023, Kylian Mbappé (25) became Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top goal scorer in a 4-2 victory over FC Nantes.

It was a feat met by club president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, stating that it was only the start of an era for the record breaker.  “ Thank you to him and to all of the team for having given so much to the Paris Saint-Germain supporters. We’ll see you again for even more records. ” Just under a year later, Mbappé had informed the club that he would be leaving at the end of the season. 

Thanks to the unexpected symmetry that often comes to define football, the first game since the news broke happened to be against Nantes. A match that Mbappé would start on the bench, a statement that there would be few further records. 

His strained relationship with the club has so frequently been psychoanalysed that the fans and their views are often left forgotten. There have been glimpses of what the supporters think, but understanding their true feelings is not an easy task, something that can only be glimpsed in their reaction. 

But like how all supporters are not a homogenous entity, there has been no one reaction. It has always been far more complex and contested. There has been warmth from the PSG faithful such as in his hattrick against Montpellier HSC last weekend, and there has also been the hostility that comes with an impending divorce.