Kylian Mbappe has played down talk of a feud with his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar - just weeks after the Brazilian broke a peace pact relating to their recent penalty row.
The potent pairing, who have both been in fine mettle alongside Lionel Messi so far this term, made headlines last month when they clashed after Neymar ignored the club's spot-kick rankings and refused to allow Mbappe to take a second penalty in the win over Montpellier. The Frenchman had already missed a penalty earlier in the match.
Reports claim that the row spilled into the dressing room after the final whistle, with former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos forced to step in to separate the petulant pair. The incident also forced new PSG chief Christophe Galtier to call a team meeting to give the duo a dressing down.
Galtier stressed after the incident that Mbappe remains the club's undisputed first-choice penalty taker - but that didn't deter Neymar from taking a penalty he won in the recent draw with Monaco.
Mbappe now admitted his relationship with Neymar blows hot and cold - but stressed that he has no issue with his colleage and that recent flashpoints have only occurred because they both have such "strong characters".
Speaking on the eve of PSG's opening Champions League clash against Juventus, Mbappe said: “This is the sixth year with Neymar. We have always had a relationship like this, based on respect, but sometimes with warmer and colder moments. It is the nature of our relationship. I have a lot of respect for the player that he is.
'When you have two players with such a strong character, you have moments like that, but always with respect and in the interest of PSG."
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Mbappe's comments on their relationship mark the latest twist in the saga that has engulfed him and Neymar already this term. There were some suggestions that the former Barcelona man could be moved on this summer after Mbappe decided to snub a move to Real Madrid to stay in Paris.
And Marca claimed last week that the French champions even 'offered' Neymar's services to Manchester City in a bid to offload the Brazilian superstar in the summer transfer window.
The issues between Mbappe and Neymar have also reportedly affected the former's relationship with Messi. It is believed that the pair have differing opinions on Neymar, who thrived alongside Messi at Barcelona before he was lured to the Parc des Princes in a world-record transfer back in 2017.
It was claimed earlier this summer that Mbappe believed that the club should attempt to move Neymar on due to his lack of discipline; something that Messi disagreed with.
