Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier has been forced to hold clear the air talks with defender Presnel Kimpembe as he attempts to smooth things over at the Parc des Princes.
The former Lille and Nice boss caused controversy at the weekend after naming French forward Kylian Mbappe as his captain for a Coupe de France showdown with Pays de Cassel in the absence of Marquinhos. The armband appeared to do the striker no harm whatsoever having scored five goals in a thumping 7-0 victory.
Galtier confirmed after the game that Mbappe was now PSG’s second in line for the captaincy. "We decided at the start of the season that Kylian Mbappé should be the second captain,” he said. “He deserves to have this armband when Marquinhos is absent."
That was a decision that appeared to ruffle the feathers of defender Kimpembe, who hit out at PSG for their failure to let him know - the 27-year-old having previously been the club’s vice captain. Writing on Instagram, he said: "In the last few hours I have been able to hear and read a lot about myself.
"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."
Galtier has reportedly attempted to come to an understanding with Kimpembe regarding the situation since. As per L’Equipe, he has held talks with the defender in an effort to clarify the situation and overcome any misunderstanding that may have occurred.
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It is suggested that he told the Frenchman that he is one of four vice captains at the Parc des Princes alongside Mbappe, Marco Verratti and Sergio Ramos with all of the four being on equal footing. It is unclear whether those talks came to a peaceful resolution but Galtier will certainly hope that is the case as he attempts to put together a successful first season in the French capital.
Les Parisiens currently sit three points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 standings. Nearest challengers Lens have put together a viable challenge having lost just one game so far this season.
PSG are next back in action on Sunday evening as they take on Reims at the Parc des Princes. Away from league action, the French side are still firmly involved in the Champions League.
They finished second in Group H behind Portuguese giants Benfica and have been drawn to face Bayern Munich in the knockout rounds. It remains to be seen how much of a role the disgruntled Kimpembe will play for the French side in the rest of the campaign.
He has made just 11 appearances in all competitions having been struck down with a number of injury issues this season. His last appearance for the side came all the way back in November’s 5-0 win over Auxerre.
