The Kylian Mbappe saga at Paris Saint-Germain has taken another bizarre twist with the club accused of secretly backing an online smear campaign against its megastar.
An investigation by French news outlet Mediapart reports that PSG hired a third party to create a fake digital army of Twitter trolls that could attack potential critics, including Mbappe after he first suggested he wanted to leave in March 2019.
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was also named as another potential target of the smear campaigns.
PSG has vehemently denied the accusations.
A club source told the publication: “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.
“We spent the last year renewing Mbappé with the biggest contract in world sport and involving President Macron, and you think that at the same time we were trolling him?”
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According to the investigation, an account called Paname Squad was given information by PSG and went on to take a strong, pro-club stance when posting comments online.
When Mbappe eventually explained he wanted to stay at the club amid speculation of a move to Real Madrid, the account congratulated the player.
“Now, work in silence and be discreet,” the Paname account tweeted. “No need for too many declarations. We need a response on the pitch.”
Another tweet from the account reads: “The Parisian supporters love you very much, you know that. You got your message across tonight…if you could press like that on the pitch.”
The same account reportedly also sent a critical post when Mbappe was named the Ligue 1 player of the year and said in his acceptance speech that it was time for him to take on “more responsibilities”.
Mediapart reported that the agency would have used a technique that included “infiltrating” pro-PSG accounts, including many that were deemed influential on social media, making them “ready to intervene to safeguard the image of the PSG”.
The investigation was revealed a day after Spanish publication Marca said that Mbappe’s relationship with PSG was now “completely broken”.
That is despite Mbappe signing one of sport’s most lucrative contract extensions, said to be worth £507 million ($A886m) over three years, in the European summer.
Sources familiar with Mbappe’s situation at PSG told the publication that the relationship is now beyond repair — and the Frenchman wants to leave in January.
PSG isn’t the only European heavyweight to be accused of engaging a third party to wage war online.
In 2020, Barcelona officials were accused of hiring a local PR consultancy to undermine players who had been critical of the club’s leadership.
Accounts were allegedly created to launch smear campaigns against big stars including Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique and attempt to clean up the image of then president Josep Bartomeu.
The club was ultimately cleared by an external audit.
Meanwhile, PSG coach Christophe Galtier said rumours about Mbappe’s future did not disrupt his team’s preparations for Tuesday’s Champions League match against Benfica.
Stuttering PSG were held to a third straight draw as the game at the Parc des Princes ended 1-1 after Mbappe put them ahead from the penalty spot just before half-time.
“I know nothing,” Galtier said when asked about the reports following Tuesday’s game. “All I know is that a rumour became a story and then that almost became a declaration.
“I found it very surprising that such a story should come out just before such a big game.”
He added: “I didn’t see anything unusual in Kylian’s preparation for the game, and he played with a lot of rhythm and intensity and gave a response to the rumours.
“We remained focused on the match and I don’t think the rumour disrupted our preparations.” Mbappe’s goal was his 12th of the season for his club in 13 games but he is reportedly unhappy at his positioning in the PSG team and that the Qatar-owned outfit did not sign a top-class centre-forward in the close season.
He had been expected to move to Real Madrid at the end of the last campaign before opting to stay in Paris with the club he first joined from Monaco in 2017.
Galtier questioned the motivation behind the reports coming out when they did, with PSG — minus the injured Lionel Messi — missing the chance to secure qualification for the Champions League last 16 with two group games to spare following the draw.
“That this rumour should emerge just four or five hours before this game, I am entitled to be surprised,” he said.
“Who does this rumour help? Who is it useful to? Not us.”
