Sports

Mbappe and Marozsan voted best top-flight players in France

May 20, 2019
Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who has already scored 32 goals this season, was named both the best player and best Under-21 player for the 2018-19 season by his peers on Sunday.
Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who has already scored 32 goals this season, was named both the best player and best Under-21 player for the 2018-19 season by his peers on Sunday.

PARIS — Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who has already scored 32 goals this season, was named both the best player and best Under-21 player for the 2018-19 season by his peers on Sunday.

France striker Mbappe, 20, scored twice in the penultimate round on Saturday to become the first French player in 53 years to net at least 32 goals in a Ligue 1 campaign since Philippe Gondet's 36 for Nantes in the 1965-66 season.

"It may be time for me to have more responsibilities, it may be here at PSG, with great pleasure, or maybe somewhere else, with a new project," Mbappe said after receiving his award.

Germany midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsan, who helped Olympique Lyonnais' women's team to a record-extending 13th consecutive league title and fourth straight Champions League crown, was named the best first division female player for the third time in a row.

Lille's Christophe Galtier was voted best Ligue 1 coach of the season after taking his side to second place behind champions PSG.

Mbappe statement throws

spanner into the works at PSG

Despite Mbappe pledging his future to Paris St Germain following yet another early Champions League exit in March, the France striker is now casting doubt on his intentions for next season.

The 20-year-old added Ligue 1 player of the year to his already impressive list of honors on Sunday and took the opportunity to say he wanted "more responsibility" in the future, adding it would be either at PSG or "somewhere else".

The world champion, who has scored 32 goals in Ligue 1 this season, has been sharing the front line at PSG with Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani and Brazil's Neymar.

"It's a turning point, it was the moment to say it," Mbappe was quoted as saying by L'Equipe on Monday.

"I am whole. When I say something, I mean it. I said it. If it is at PSG, that's good, if it is elsewhere, it is elsewhere."

Mbappe, whose influence at the French champions grew when Neymar was sidelined with a foot injury this year, has always said he would love to play at Real Madrid.

Mbappe's departure would be a huge blow for PSG, who were knocked out of the Champions League last 16 by Manchester United in embarrassing fashion this season.

It would, though, allow them to stabilize their finances after they were probed for an alleged breach of the Financial Fair Play rules.

Proceeedings in that case were halted in March when the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld an appeal over a procedural error from governing body UEFA. — Reuters


May 20, 2019
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