Kylian Mbappe has urged his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates to "remain professional and respect each other" after their demoralising defeat to Monaco on Sunday.
The 3-0 loss capped a tough few weeks for PSG, who were beaten by Nice earlier this month before being dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid despite leading the tie by two goals. Mbappe cut a frustrated figure during Sunday's abject display, though the result still leaves PSG 12 points clear of Marseille at the top of Ligue 1 and cruising towards the title.
However, the French superstar was keen to remind his colleagues in the dressing room of their duties in a warning they must put their Champions League setback behind them and take more pride in their work if they are to end the season on a high note.
"We lost to a great team who are playing to get into Europe. They [Monaco] were determined and carried out their game plan," Mbappe told Amazon Prime Video after losing to his former club. "I hope they get into Europe. They deserved to win. The goal is to go for the 10th league title. The rest doesn't matter.
"Even if we win 8-0 or 9-0, people will still be thinking about the Champions League. We must remain professional and respect each other. We have to respect the fans who support us, the people and our families. You have to respect yourself if you have a shred of respect for what you do."
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Two goals from Wissam Ben Yedder and one from Kevin Volland earned Monaco all three points as they try and revive their own pursuit of Champions League qualification, as they currently sit down in seventh. The match was shown on BT Sport, the exclusive broadcaster of France’s Ligue 1 Uber Eats in the UK and Ireland. Despite PSG being streets ahead of the rest of their rivals, the outcome does add more pressure to boss Mauricio Pochettino, who is already under increased scrutiny following the European exit to Madrid.
The Argentine coach has been linked with the Manchester United vacancy this summer amid suggestions Zinedine Zidane could be lined up to replace him at the Parc des Princes. It is no secret the PSG hierarchy have their eyes firmly on finally winning the Champions League, and with Mbappe nearing the exit door too, it was felt this season was their best chance.
Pochettino's failure to get a real collective tune out of his front three following Lionel Messi's blockbuster arrival has raised several eyebrows in the French capital, and while they are walking the league, a 10th domestic title will do little to appease the PSG board, even if they manage to ward off their recent slump.
Speaking after the game, Pochettino refused to make any excuses for his side's poor showing, slamming their lack of commitment to remain motivated for the title now that the Champions League was out of the picture. "It's unacceptable to start a game like that. After that, it was a disgrace in sporting terms," he blasted.
"Now it's time to move on, get over the frustration of the Champions League and think about giving our best while having a competitive attitude. I don't want to look for excuses. The first half was unacceptable. We had no fighting spirit. The way we played is not acceptable. This can't happen.
"We can't have this kind of attitude. It is unacceptable to start the game in this way. Respect for the club and our fans is fundamental. The important thing is to find solutions. Behaviour must be more collective than individual. We have moved away from that. We have to think collectively."
BT Sport is the exclusive broadcaster of France’s Ligue 1 Uber Eats this season, with several live matches broadcast every week. For more info, visit btsport.com
