Paris Saint-Germain defender Presnel Kimpembe claims he was not made aware that he was losing his vice-captaincy role to Kylian Mbappe.
French megastar Mbappe was notably handed the armband ahead of PSG's 7-0 thrashing of sixth-tier minnows US Pays de Cassel on Monday, in which he scored five goals. The move saw Kimpembe, who'd previously been deputy for club captain Marquinhos, demoted from the role.
The France international, 27, insists that the decision only dawned on him when manager Christophe Galiter told Mbappe that he'd wear the armband ahead of the Coupe de France tie. After rumours that Kimpembe had stepped down from the position began to circulate, the centre-back took to social media to refute the claims and state that he was "not made aware" until the match.
"In the last few hours I have been able to hear and read a lot about myself," Kimpembe wrote on Instagram. "I therefore wish to make things clear in order to avoid continuing to spread false information in this regard. I was not made aware of this decision, this is completely false... That said, I will always respect the decisions of the club."
PSG academy graduate Kimpembe has missed much of the season through injury but remains a fan favourite due to his upbringing at the club. He's yet to feature for the Ligue 1 champions in 2023, having last played before the World Cup break on November 13.
Galtier suggested post-match that the call to hand over the armband to Mbappe was because the 24-year-old opted to stay at PSG ahead of the campaign.
"I decided that he is the second captain since the beginning of the season, he deserves to have this armband when Marquinhos is not there, because he has decided to stay," the French tactician explained. His comments came despite making Italy international Marco Verratti captain for the side's last league game before the World Cup.
"He scored 56 goals in the calendar year. He is one of the world-class strikers, one of the best in the world. He's like that. He is formatted to score goals, he did not abuse, goals came naturally after combinations."
Not only does the decision speak volumes regarding the club's assessment of homegrown Kimpembe, but also how keen they are to ensure that Mbappe boasts a strong presence at the Parc des Princes. Despite signing a lucrative contract extension over the summer, which keeps him at PSG until 2025, speculation continues to persist that the electric forward is unhappy in Paris and wants to join Real Madrid.
Mbappe, who's scored 25 goals this season, was heavily linked with a move to the Spanish capital last term, with Real even launching a £176m bid on transfer deadline day in August 2021. PSG rejected the offer.
Iit was widely expected that Mbappe would move to Madrid on a free transfer last summer, PSG chiefs managed to convince Mbappe to sign a new deal, handing him wages worth £650,000 per week and an eye-watering signing-on bonus of £100m.
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The terms of his unprecedented agreement reportedly gives him a say in sporting decisions at the club - albeit not a final one. It's widely known Mbappe was keen for the club to sign a senior No.9 last summer, with Gianluca Scamacca - now at West Ham - among their targets, potentially at the expense of Neymar. However, only youngster Hugo Ekitike was signed for the position.
A recent report from Marca has claimed that Real want nothing to do with Mbappe's situation, having soiled their relationship with PSG when talks over a world-record transfer broke down last spring.
Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has already told the player that "he'll be sorry" for turning down the chance to move to Madrid, later adding that Real no longer want him - however, that is believed to be a smokescreen for the European champions' next push to add Mbappe to their ranks as the heir to Karim Benzema.
