By Tom Morgan
Paris Saint-Germain have been accused of hiring a digital agency to carry out smear campaigns against star player Kylian Mbappe.
According to an investigation by news site Mediapart, the French football giants entered into the deal to create a “digital army” in order to undermine potential critics. As well as Mbappe, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas and the press were identified as potential targets after PSG hired an external company to create an “army” of fake Twitter accounts.
The article cites responses on social media in March 2019 when rumours began surfacing of a potential move to Real Madrid for Mbappe.
After he gave an interview to Telefoot explaining that he wanted to stay, an account called Paname Squad – who, according to Mediapart, is being provided with information by PSG – congratulated the forward on his decision and called on players to “work in silence”.
The account also posted a critical message when Mbappe had been named Ligue 1 player of the year, adding it was time for him to take on “more responsibilities”.
PSG have denied any involvement, however. A club source said: “Do you really think that we hire people to troll our own players? That we troll Jean-Michel Aulas? It’s a bunch of complete nonsense. If an agency under the cover of the club was doing things, it’s up to them to answer – absolutely nothing to do with the club.
The relationship between Kylian Mbappe and PSG has reportedly reached breaking point.Credit:AP
“We spent the last year renewing Mbappe with the biggest contract in world sport and involving president [Emmanuel] Macron, and you think that at the same time we were trolling him?”
The technique used by the agency, according to the Mediapart article, would have consisted of “infiltrating many pro-PSG accounts, including 10 per cent of accounts deemed influential “on social networks, ready to intervene to safeguard the image of PSG”.
The disputed claims come a day after it emerged that Mbappe wants to leave in the transfer window because his relationship with the club has broken down.
PSG have no intention of selling Mbappe, who signed a new three-year contract this summer, after they fought off interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool, but are aware of his desire to leave. They believe it is an attempt to put pressure on the club.
Champions League matchday 4 results
Wednesday (AEDT):
- Maccabi Haifa 2 Juventus 0
- Copenhagen 0 Manchester City 0
- PSG 1 Benfica 1
- Dinamo Zagreb 1 RB Salzburg 1
- Borussia Dortmund 1 Sevilla 1
- AC Milan 0 Chelsea 2
- Celtic 0 RB Leipzig 2
- Shakhtar Donetsk 1 Real Madrid 1
Thursday:
- Napoli 4 Ajax 2
- Atletico Madrid 0 Club Brugge 0
- Bayer Leverkusen 0 Porto 3
- Rangers 1 Liverpool 7
- Barcelona 3 Inter Milan 3
- Viktoria Plzen 2 Bayern Munich 4
- Tottenham 3 Eintracht Frankfurt 2
- Sporting Lisbon 0 Marseille 2
Mbappe told this masthead in an exclusive interview in May after he signed his new deal that he talked to Liverpool before agreeing to stay. Real reacted badly to the striker remaining at PSG having come close to signing Mbappe the summer before.
According to PSG sources, the club regard Mbappe as a “€300-350 million” ($465-$540m) player and insist Real offered more money than they did to sign him, but he chose to stay “to continue the project here and because the job is not done yet”.
It would certainly take a world record fee – more than the €222 million PSG paid to release Neymar from his Barcelona contract in 2017 – for Mbappe to be sold.
Real will be regarded as favourites should he eventually be allowed to leave and would probably be his preferred destination.
In coach Christophe Galtier’s 3-4-3 formation, Mbappe is being used as a lone forward with Lionel Messi and Neymar on either side, while he has more freedom with France, playing around Olivier Giroud.
But Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and France forward, said Mbappe has to knuckle down. “There is only one rule: if the boss asks you to do something, you do it, if it’s good for the team,” he said.
Telegraph, London
Liverpool smash Rangers, big guns Europa League-bound
Glasgow: A hat-trick from substitute Mohamed Salah helped Liverpool come from behind to thrash Rangers 7-1 on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) to put themselves on the verge of qualification for the Champions League knockout stages.
Ajax and Barcelona, however, look likely to continue their continental campaigns in the second-tier Europa League. Dutch four-time winners Ajax lost 4-2 to Group A leaders Napoli and are six points behind Liverpool with two matches to play – but have a vastly inferior goal difference. Barcelona, meanwhile, are three points behind Inter Milan in Group C. Both sides have matches against Bayern Munich and Viktoria Plzen to come.
In a cauldron-like atmosphere in Glasgow, a much-changed Liverpool side struggled to get going early on, and found themselves behind as Scott Arfield slotted home 17 minutes in to lift the roof off Ibrox.
That lead lasted less than eight minutes, however, as Roberto Firmino continued his prolific season with a near-post header to level things up from a corner.
Liverpool were much the better team in the second half and deservedly edged back in front 10 minutes after the interval, Firmino converting Joe Gomez’s pinpoint low cross.
Mohamed Salah regained the form that made him a Liverpool favourite with three goals in the 7-1 Champions League thrashing of Rangers.Credit:AP
With Rangers chasing the game, a fine finish from close-season signing Darwin Nunez put the game beyond the hosts before Salah, who started the match on the bench, fired a six-minute treble to turn a hard-fought win into a rout.
Harvey Elliott added to the home side’s embarrassment with a late seventh, putting the seal on a victory that means Liverpool are second in Group A, and need just one point from their final two matches to be sure of a spot in the knockout stages, while Rangers are bottom, without a single point.
Elsewhere, Tottenham took a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stages after coming from behind to beat 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt 3-2.
In a busy first half, two well taken goals from Son Heung-min either side of a Harry Kane penalty calmed the home fans after Europa League champions Frankfurt had taken an early lead through Daichi Kamada.
Any hopes of a Frankfurt comeback were dashed on the hour mark when they were reduced to 10 men after defender Tuta was sent off for his second booking in a matter of minutes after twice bringing down Son on the left wing.
The German side did spook the hosts with three minutes remaining when Faride Alidou rose highest from an in-swinging corner to head the ball down and in. But even with Kane missing another penalty, Spurs held on.
The win put Antonio Conte’s side top of Group D on seven points. However, it is still all to play for as Olympique de Marseille and Sporting are tied on six points, and Frankfurt remain in the hunt on four with two games left to play.
Reuters
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