“I’m not going to speak for the sake of it” - Kylian Mbappe delivers verdict on first game as France captain 

France kicked off their new era under Kylian Mbappe's captaincy by thrashing the Netherlands 4-0 at Stade de France in a European Championships qualifier on Friday (24 March). However, the PSG star is not thinking a lot about it and believes there was nothing much to talk about regarding the team's performance.

Mbappe was named French captain last week with Antoine Griezmann also in the running. He was caught surprised, like a lot of the fans and former players, but is ready to take responsibility.

Griezmann opened the scoring against the Netherlands, while Dayot Upamecano added another in the 8th minute. Captain Mbappe scored a brace later and helped his side to a comfortable win. Speaking after the match, he said:

"I was the same, I played my new role naturally. There wasn't much to say with regard to the team's performance. I'm not just going to speak for the sake of it. I was the link between two generations, but there weren't any differences during the week. The team is in good spirits, I haven't had to intervene. The less work I have, the better it is for everyone."

Kylian Mbappe named France captain ahead of Antoine Griezmann

Didier Deschamps surprised everyone last week by naming Kylian Mbappe as the new captain following the retirements of Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane.

Griezmann was disappointed that he had to settle for the vice-captaincy role, and Mbappe confirmed that the Atletico Madrid star was understandably dejected. He confirmed speaking with the forward and said:

"I spoke with Antoine. He was disappointed and that's understandable. I told him I would have had the same reaction. He is perhaps the most important player in the Deschamps era. He has the experience. If he has something to say, I will sit down and listen. You mustn't shut the door to anyone. Everyone is free to express themselves. He is held in high esteem and is liked by the whole squad so it would be a shame for us not benefit from his experience, and his zest for life as well."

Deschamps organized a PlayStation session to calm things down in the camp following the announcement of the new captains last week.