Paris, Jan 19 (EFE).- French football star Kylian Mbappe expressed his yearning for anonymity, to be able to go out and enjoy a normal life, and said he deserved his career earnings.
«I have lost the spontaneity of being human,» Mbappe said in a program on public channel France 2 aired on Thursday night.
«There are things that I have not been able to do in life and that I have lacked,» the Paris Saint-Germain star said.
The ‘Envoye Special’ program allowed Mbappe to reveal his most intimate side and also review in depth the work of the IBKM foundation, created by the player to support young people.
The French national team forward acknowledged that achieving stardom at the age of 18 made him mature early and that he longed for normal things like going to restaurants, going out with friends, attending a party without being recognized, and having brunch on a terrace.
“It’s what I miss most,» said Mbappe, who, by the age of 24 had played in two World Cup finals and won one.
Mbappe, now 25, confessed to journalist Elise Lucet that he did not know exactly how much money he earned.
Media reports say that Mbappe’s earnings from PSG and his contracts with sponsors were about 100 million euros ($108.83 million) per year.
He admitted that the earnings in football may seem excessive.
«I understand; I said the same thing before. The world works like this; we can only adapt to this world,» he said.
In the interview recorded at the end of December, Mbappe said that he was deserving of the money he earned.
«Yes, I deserve what I earn,» he said, almost immediately adding, «that is why I created the foundation.»
The son of a Cameroonian-origin father and a Tunisian-origin mother, Mbappe acknowledged that he has been personally affected by racism and said that he speaks out, as he did during the riots in France last summer, because he is a citizen of the world.
«I think I am free to say what seems fair to me, like any human being,» he said.
The 30-minute broadcast mainly reviewed the operation of the IBKM (‘Inspired By Kylian Mbappe’) association, which helps 98 young people.
This is the first time that Mbappe’s mother, Fayza Lamari, who is very discreet and protective of her son, has allowed the cameras access to the private activities carried out by the two of them.
Mbappe had the idea of creating the association in 2018 after appearing on the cover of Time magazine, and the entity finally saw the light of day in 2020.
The 98 high school students, from different social backgrounds, receive support based on their needs to achieve their goals.
They also carry out numerous joint activities during the holidays in an attempt to create team spirit among them. EFE
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