Speaking in an interview with RMC, the recently departed director of France’s prestigious INF Clairefontaine academy explained why 13-year-old Ethan Mbappé, brother to PSG and French international Kylian, did not join the set-up after a trial last spring.
Director Jean-Claude Lafargue, who held the position between 2013 to 2019, confirmed that the youngster had been good enough, but the Mbappé family decided against it.
“He is a kid with quality. The proof is that he is part of the youth set-up at PSG. He is a very elegant central midfielder. Very much at ease, very intelligent. He is a player for the future, that’s for sure. It was a family decision. It was not that the INF Clairefontaine academy didn’t take him. It was a choice. His family preferred to keep him in Paris. I know the parents well and we calmly discussed it.”