Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Luis Enrique stated that he was unaware of the boos directed at Kylian Mbappé by the club’s fans prior to his final game at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappé, the all-time leading scorer for the club, recently announced his departure from the Ligue 1 champions after seven years.
Whistles and jeers could be heard as his name was announced in the lineups before Sunday’s match against Toulouse.
“I didn’t hear any booing,” Luis Enrique said. “I heard lots of support. All I heard was applause, chants and joy, which I think it was what Kylian deserved. The fans were superb, as always.”
As Mbappé ran onto the pitch to warm up before Sunday’s 3-1 defeat, PSG’s ultra supporters displayed a huge banner with a giant image of Mbappé and the message: “Child from the Parisian suburbs, you became a legend of PSG.”
Kylian Mbappé played his last home game for PSG against Toulouse on Sunday. Getty
“I thought it [the tribute] was fantastic and very heartfelt,” Luis Enrique said. “It’s beautiful to recognise the work of a player of his level. He is without a doubt a legend of the club despite his youth. We still have some game left. I wish him the best of luck in his sporting career.”
Mbappé, widely anticipated to join Real Madrid as a free agent this summer, played the full 90 minutes on Sunday and marked his performance with his 27th league goal of the season.
When questioned about his decision not to substitute Mbappé to allow for a standing ovation, Enrique explained, “I chose not to take him off because every time I’ve done so in the past, there’s been considerable attention from the press. So, I opted to keep him on for the entire 90 minutes to avoid any frustration.”
In contrast, Luis Enrique opted not to field Keylor Navas on Sunday, despite the veteran goalkeeper sharing a farewell message to PSG fans on Instagram ahead of what was expected to be his final game at the Parc des Princes.
Navas, 37, whose contract with PSG expires in June, wrote: “Every second spent at the Parc des Princes was wonderful…It was an honour to defend this badge in this incredible stadium. I still have goals to achieve, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to what was my home.”
Asked why he chose to leave Navas on the bench and start Arnau Tenas in goal after resting PSG’s No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma, Luis Enrique said: “Regarding Keylor, I haven’t had any news that it was his last game at the Parcs des Princes. So I make decisions based on what was best for the team.”
Navas got an ovation from the PSG crowd during the league title celebrations after the game.