Mbappe responds to criticism: It is normal for people to focus on what I am not doing after years of excellence

Kylian Mbappe responded to the criticism directed at his performance “without the ball,” considering that a player who has performed at exceptional levels for years becomes an easy target for scrutiny of what he does not offer, instead of focusing on what he excels at.

In an interview with the French newspaper L'Equipe, the Real Madrid and French national team star said: “I think this is not a normal thing, but it is the life of someone who has lived excellence for years. I'm nothing new anymore, everyone has known for years what I can do. “I think this is the human side of the matter.”

Mbappé added: “It is normal for people to always look at what a person does not do. When a player continues to perform the same for 10 years, people stop looking at what he actually does, because they realize his ability to do it. So, they always try to focus on what he's not doing. From that moment on, I no longer considered it a personal matter.”

Speaking about criticism in general, the French striker adopted a balanced tone, saying: “I have a balanced approach to criticism. There is constructive criticism and other illogical criticism. Criticism does not scare me, and when I make a decision, I do not think about the possibility of being criticized.”

He continued: “If I know that the decision is right for me - or even if it is not but it is necessary - then my career has proven that I am always moving forward.”

Some believe that the team may suffer because of him, despite the goals he scores, but the former French Paris Saint-Germain star was not convinced by this proposal, as he said, “This argument seems illogical to me. If I do not score, they will ask me why I do not score.”

Mbappe concluded his statements by saying: “I learned that when you are a football player, there are millions of coaches who have an opinion in every match, and not all of them are happy in their home lives. Everyone has their own point of view, but I believe that the goal of football is to score goals, and to score more than the opponent scores.”

Legendary Jamaican runner, Usain Bolt, has praised the International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) decision to award prize money to athletes at the Olympic Games.

The International Association of Athletics Federations has become the first sports federation to pay financial rewards to athletes in the Olympic Games, as it has allocated $50,000 to the winners of the gold medals in the individual competitions at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and it also seeks to award financial prizes to the winners of the silver and bronze medals in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Bolt's statements, winner of 8 Olympic gold medals, came before the start of the major world athletics championship in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, in its first edition, which is the most expensive tournament in the history of athletics, with a total prize pool of $10 million.

Bolt said: “I support the idea of ​​awarding athletes who win Olympic medals sums of money. We attach the utmost importance to the Olympic Games, and it is an event that athletes eagerly anticipate, so I certainly believe and agree that they should be compensated for what they provide.”

“It's work,” he added. Yes, we are competing to represent our country, but in the end we expose our bodies to risks. If we get injured, it spoils our plans for the next season. I see this as very necessary, so I fully support it.”

The winners of the individual competitions in Budapest are scheduled to receive $150,000 each, while the relay teams will share $80,000, and financial prizes will be allocated for various medals and ranking positions, ensuring that each athlete receives good compensation for his effort and time.

A positive 1-1 draw imposed itself on the match between Dutch PSV Eindhoven and its guest, Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine, on Thursday, in the opening round of the league stage of the Champions League.

Shakhtar scored with a surprise goal in the first minute of added time instead of stoppage time for the first half. It was signed by Glecker Mendoza, through a quick counterattack, through which he obtained the ball on the left side, before shooting a perfect shot from inside the penalty area, and placing it to the left of the PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper into the net.

PSV Eindhoven quickly scored the equalizer in the 48th minute through Sergino Dest. After a series of passes between the Dutch team players, the ball reached the American player, who followed a creeping cross pass from the left side, and shot directly from inside the area, without being harassed by anyone, placing the ball to the left of the Ukrainian team’s goalkeeper, who merely looked at it as it embraced his net.

With this result, each team earned one point at the beginning of its journey in the continental competition, which PSV Eindhoven won in 1988.

PSV Eindhoven will host German Leipzig in the next round, next month, while Shakhtar will meet its guest, AEK of Greece.