Coach Luis Enrique and the PSG club are clearly showing their attitudes and actions aimed at Kylian Mbappe .

Kylian Mbappe will not have as much playing time as before, as PSG must prepare for life without him. Photo: SNL24

In the 65th minute of the match between Paris St Germain and Rennes at Parc des Princes in round 23 of Ligue 1, coach Luis Enrique took Kylian Mbappe off and replaced him with Goncalo Ramos.

PSG was leading 1-0 to the away team at that time, Mbappe showed no signs of fatigue or injury. Ramos then scored to equalize 1-1 in the 90+7 minute.

It seems that the Spanish coach’s decision was correct, but people are still trying to find the real reason behind replacing Mbappe after just over an hour of play.

Actually, it’s not difficult to explain. The only thing to do is wait for confirmation from insiders. The story is related to Mbappe’s future.

Accordingly, PSG has suspected since early January that Mbappe was negotiating with Real Madrid. He is eligible to negotiate with any team, because his contract with PSG only has 6 months remaining.

And everything was confirmed when the French striker met Nasser al Khelaifi in Poissy on February 13 to announce that he would not renew his contract.

In addition to the details that have not yet been finalized about the high-value contract and are still being negotiated, the reality is that Madrid has tied Kylian up from the beginning of 2024.

PSG knows and understands that, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a sense of disappointment in Paris. Then, they act.

PSG decided to prove that no one is above the team and Enrique is the one with the power over the stars to make completely free decisions.

They were no longer looking in the same direction. Photo: News18

After experiences with Neymar or Lionel Messi, the French club is determined to turn the project around, with or without Mbappe. Enrique’s decision against Rennes is another example of the idea that the coach’s project is in line with the club’s strategy.

Within the French team, they believe that Mbappe’s early decision does not help anything. According to L’Équipe, Enrique disagreed that the revelations were not too early, but once they were, “we have to start building now a PSG without Kylian”.

That means considering the best options for next season. 90 million Euros have been invested in Kolo Muani and Ramos – currently on loan, needing to play to be ready for next year.

For his part, Al-Khelaifi contacted Enrique and said he was happy with his work. The Asturian-born coach made it clear upon his arrival that his decisions would reflect what he thought. So in this case, there is no doubt.

But Enrique should be careful. PSG may not have opponents in Ligue 1 but they still have the Champions League to achieve the best results possible. Disappointing Mbappe means reducing the team’s chances.

Is it true that PSG was too narrow-minded in its treatment of Mbappe when he fulfilled his promise and stayed with the team despite being solicited from Real Madrid for many years?

A “love affair” lasting 7 years, PSG may want more, but in a professional game, there are things that must be accepted. They will have to accept that the project with Mbappe, Neymar and Messi has failed.

But it would be better to let Mbappe play hard in his final months in Paris instead of feeling right now that people no longer love him…