'Me, me, me and myself': Papin blasts Mbappe over Ballon d'Or self-promotion
Former Ballon d'Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin has criticised Kylian Mbappe for his comments about the race for football's most prestigious individual award, accusing the France captain of being self-centred.
Papin, who won the award in 1991, acknowledged Mbappe's talent and record-breaking achievements but said the Real Madrid forward's public comments about his own candidacy had gone too far.
Speaking to French website Foot Mercato, Papin said: “I really do admire Kylian, he holds records, but at a certain point it all becomes about me, me, me and myself. The Ballon d'Or winner is decided by others.”
Papin was particularly critical of Mbappe's reported claim that no other player deserved the award.
“At one point he said that nobody other than him deserved the Ballon d'Or. That was too much for me, far too much,” the former Marseille striker said.
Papin added that the winner should be determined by the voters' criteria rather than a player's own assessment of his achievements.
Despite acknowledging Mbappe's credentials, he said he would prefer England captain Harry Kane to win the award.
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