PSG: Mbappé and Tuchel in another substitution stand-off
The French youngster is universally accepted as one of the hottest talents around but his manager's decisions are not helping their relationship.
It's yet another episode in the vaguely absorbing Mbappé-Tuchel soap opera. The German coach decided to replace his French forward in the 67th minute against Montpellier, a decision the player was clearly unhappy about.
Mbappé: why always me?
Paris Saint-Germain already had an unassailable 5-0 lead by that point - with the 21-year old making his mark on the 56th minute - but there was, once again, a feeling that when the game was won, it was he, and not others, that were being sacrificed. Thomas Tuchel even had to grab the player to get his attention, with his anger evident.
This situation has happened before and there was a feeling of déjà vu about Saturday's incident. In the Champions League, the Real Madrid-linked star gave a pointed nudge in the direction of his manager after coming off the bench against Brugge and knocking home a hat-trick in the second half. As well as that, at the beginning of December, coincidentally also with Montpellier as the opponents, Mbappé complained about being substituted when the game was at 1-3.
The cold relationship between the two is one of the reasons that many point to as a reason for the former Monaco winger pushing for a move away from Paris. There is currently a renewal offer on the table, but this is yet to be accepted and there are doubts over where he will be playing his exceptional brand of football next season. One thing appears sure: if Tuchel remains in charge, his the young star's departure would be more feasible.