PSG boss Christophe Galtier has played down any issue between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
The two players performed heroics in the World Cup final, with Messi and Argentina narrowly coming out on top. Mbappe found the back of the net four times, which included his penalty in the shootout, but couldn't lead Les Blues to back-to-back triumphs.
Mbappe's near miss saw him become the subject of relentless mocking by Emiliano Martinez, Argentina's shootout hero. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was seen celebrating with a doll that bore the Frenchman's face after he hit back at comments Mbappe made questioning the strength of the South American nations.
Messi was pictured throughout the victory parade next to Martinez, whilst he held the mocking doll, but didn't appear to quash the celebrations. That led to some questioning whether there would be tension between himself and Mbappe when they returned to Paris.
Galtier, though, is adamant Martinez's actions need to be separated from Messi's. He said: "I would focus on the relationship between them. It wasn't Leo Messi winding anybody else up. What I saw after the final, what I have experienced, is there is no reason to mix these things up because the goalkeeper's behaviour is down to him."
He added: "What matters to me is the relationship between the players. Kylian Mbappe had a very good attitude, despite losing. Of course, he was very disappointed, but he did that in a classy way. He congratulated Leo Messi and that is a very good thing for the club and for the team."
Should Lionel Messi have intervened to stop Emiliano Martinez's taunts? Have your say in the comments...
Messi and Mbappe will need to come together effectively if they and PSG are to achieve their goals this season. As expected, they sit top of Ligue 1, but in the new year will face Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League. Mbappe and PSG are still eyeing their first ever European triumph.
Martinez took a moment in the aftermath of the World Cup final to console Mbappe, who sat reflective in the middle of the pitch. However, his actions and antics since have copped plenty of criticism, with Patrick Vieira suggesting they took the shine off the celebrations.
The Crystal Palace manager and France legend said: “Some of the pictures that I saw from the Argentina goalkeeper took away a little bit from what Argentina achieved at the World Cup. I don’t think that they really needed that. You can’t control sometimes people’s emotions or decisions, but that was a stupid decision from Martinez to do that.”
