Kylian Mbappes issue with image rights, gambling and KFC
French football is in turmoil amid a rolling series of scandals, from Paul Pogba’s involvement in a bizarre extortion saga to allegations of serious sexual abuse at the highest levels of their game.
None of it bodes well for the World Cup in just two months, where the French side are the favourites on paper and hope to retain the trophy they won for the second time in Russia four years ago.
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Another of the many strands belonging to French football’s complex preparations for Qatar 2022 involves the national game’s golden boy, Kylian Mbappe.
He was still just a teenager when Didier Deschamps’ men lifted the trophy in Moscow but Mbappe is going into this World Cup as a mature professional and one of the sport’s most recognisable faces.
The situation with him involves gambling, tantrums and, well, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
What kicked off the dispute?
With club football on hold for two weeks as European national teams compete in the final rounds of the Nations League group stage, countries around the globe are taking advantage of one last chance to play together before the World Cup, as the winter scheduling means there is no room for the usual pre-tournament warm-up friendlies.
As well as playing matches and getting some hours in on the training ground, this is also a commercial opportunity — a good time to take photos and put out content before the marketing bonanza that comes every four years when more eyeballs are on football than at any other time.
Home ☑️
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Which is your favourite England men's 2022/23 kit?
— England (@England) September 21, 2022
On Tuesday, the France national side had a photoshoot, just like other national sides in their training camps all over the world are having this week.
But Mbappe did not participate in it.
“I have decided to not take part in the photoshoot after the French federation’s refusal to change the image rights agreement with the players,” he said in a statement.
Why did Mbappe refuse to take part?
This isn’t a new issue.
In March, Mbappe led a boycott of certain commercial activities by players who did not want to be associated with certain sectors — such as gambling websites and fast-food chains.
That month, he also tweeted angrily at a gambling company for a disrespectful tweet about his father, asking for “a little respect, please”.
Le danger des paris en ligne… ne plus avoir de limite.
Un peu de respect svp
🤦🏽♂️🤬 @WinamaxSport pic.twitter.com/7Wj5jbBdPL
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) March 31, 2022
The French Football Federation (FFF) has a major deal with Betclic, the country’s leading online gambling website.
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But Mbappe’s anti-gambling stance has been accused of hypocrisy in some quarters.
In June, he signed up as an ambassador for Sorare, a controversial non-fungible token (NFT) company, which The Athletic revealed involves a secretive “quantitative hedge fund” run by a small group of players hoovering up millions of dollars in cash rewards from the platform.
The site has been blocked as a gambling website in Switzerland and is subject to investigation by the UK Gambling Commission. The site itself is insistent it is not an investment or gambling product and maintains it is about “collectibles”.
Furthermore, Mbappe is the poster child of his Qatar-owned employers Paris Saint-Germain, who have been relentlessly criticised for “sportswashing” — ie, diminishing human-rights concerns by wrapping a state project in the glamour of sport.
Alongside the concerns over the types of company being advertised, French media also reported that there is disquiet some team members are being used far more often, with Mbappe a particular commercial draw as one of the world game’s most famous players.
As well as Betclic, FFF sponsors include giant firms Uber, Coca-Cola… and KFC.
Where does KFC come into it?
As well as gambling websites, French media has reported that Mbappe also does not want to be associated with fast-food chains such as KFC.
This has led to a war of words between the star striker and a company executive.
Alain Beral, vice president of KFC France, has told the Sport Business Club website that the company is considering legal action over Mbappe’s refusal to participate in the big-money deal.
“We have paid for something clear. If necessary, we will assert our rights,” he said, accusing Mbappe of a “tantrum” and a “crisis of youth”.
However, KFC France then distanced itself from Beral’s views in an attempt to calm the situation, saying these words were “personal opinions” and did not reflect the stance of the company.
What happens next?
The FFF appears to be in the mood for compromise with its star player — after all, they play their opening World Cup group game, against Australia, two months today.
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The federation put out a statement saying it would “review” the image rights agreement with certain players “as soon as possible”.
𝘊𝘖𝘔𝘔𝘜𝘕𝘐𝘘𝘜𝘌́ pic.twitter.com/qOr79QvnDn
— FFF (@FFF) September 19, 2022
The FFF added that it recognised “the legitimate concerns and convictions unanimously expressed by its players”, indicating Mbappe’s team-mates agree with him.
French media outlet RMC Sport reported that the uneasy peace came after a meeting between Mbappe, manager Deschamps, captain Hugo Lloris and vice-captain Raphael Varane.
Mbappe has subsequently agreed to participate in photoshoots.
There seems to be an uneasy peace going into these two Nations League games against Austria in Paris tonight (Thursday) and away to Denmark in Copenhagen on Sunday.
But with all the issues shrouding the national side at the moment, French fans will be hoping 2022 is like 2018 or 1998, when they conquered the world, rather than 2002, when they arrived as champions but went out early without scoring a goal, or 2010, when the players fell out with each other before another spectacular group-stage capitulation.
(Top graphic — photo: Getty Images, design: Eamonn Dalton)
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