Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe and manager Christophe Galtier have been criticised after dismissing suggestions that the team should travel by train rather than a private jet for short-distance matches.
High-ranking politicians in France have slammed Mbappe and Galtier for mocking a reporter’s question about why the squad flew to Nantes on a private plane rather than taking the train. Nantes is 239 miles from Paris, and the French capital can be reached in two hours by high-speed train.
Mbappe burst out laughing after being questioned about the short plane ride, while Galtier responded with a remark about ‘sand yachts.’
“This morning we talked about it with the company which organises our trips and we’re looking into travelling on sand yachts,”
Galtier said.
Apart from that, Mbappe was asked for his thoughts, but he said he didn’t have any on the matter, while still laughing at the initial question. Their mocking response enraged people like Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.
”It’s not ok to respond like that. Wake up guys??? This is Paris,’
Hidalgo said on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Amelie Oudea-Castera, France’s sports minister, also spoke out.
“Mr Galtier, we have become accustomed to more relevant and more responsible answers from you. Shall we talk about it?”
In an interview with BFM-TV, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire slammed Mbappe’s laughter and slammed Galtier’s ‘inappropriate’ ironic response.
“I adore Mbappe and it can happen to all of us that we burst out laughing at the wrong moment. And I think this was the wrong moment to burst out laughing. We must all take climate change seriously. It is serious, it is about our planet and about our ability to live on this planet.”
According to a PSG source, Galtier and the PSG squad take climate change seriously, while Le Parisien newspaper claims the team does not see rail travel as a viable option due to security concerns and the difficulties of travelling by train at night.
