Kylian Mbappe press conference LIVE: Real Madrid make French superstar’s “dream” come true
The 25-year-old left PSG and the start of the summer to join up with the La Liga champions
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Kylian Mbappe has been unveiled a new Real Madrid player this morning since completing his free transfer to the Spanish giants after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired.
Madrid president Florentino Perez has long been an admirer of Mbappe, trying for years to tempt him away from Paris in order to join up with the La Liga champions.
Perez will show off the former Monaco star to the club’s supporters at 11am BST on Tuesday with the France international then beginning preparations for the new season. He will meet up with his new teammates and look to settle in at the Bernabeu as Los Blancos seek to defend their La Liga and Champions League crowns.
Real Madrid announced that members can attend the event for free though the online queue for tickets saw more than 100,000 people hoping for access. Since then some passes have appeared on reselling websites ranging from €30 to €200 as fans hope to get a closer look at Mbappe who will wear the No. 9 shirt at Madrid.
Follow along with Kylian Mbappe’s presentation with our live blog below:
Kylian Mbappe press conference
What can you contribute to make Real Madrid better?
Mbappe: “Real Madrid is a team that always wins, that’s why it’s the best team in the world, what I want is to help them as much as I can.
“Obviously it’s a great team and I’m really happy to be here and to make sure I adapt to the team as soon as possible, and as I said, I’ll do my best to help my teammates.
“I can’t wait to start training.”
Kylian Mbappe press conference
When asked about his potential position, Mbappe said: “For me, I will play wherever the manager tells me to. In Paris I played in all three positions up front, in Monaco as well, the most important thing is to be as fit as possible and mentally strong, so for me it’s not a debate really, not a dilemma, I’m not really concerned about the exact position, the most important thing for me is to play.”
Kylian Mbappe press conference
What are your dreams for this first season at Real Madrid?
Mbappe replies: “Well I joined this club with huge ambition but also humility, obviously I want to win as many titles as I can, but the most important thing is for me to help the team as much as I can.
“All I want to do is be as helpful as possible. Obviously a lot of things can happen on your road to success.
“All I can say is I want to enjoy my life and enjoy every single second here because this has been my dream all my life.”
Kylian Mbappe press conference
The next question is about the exact moment he decided to sign for the club:
Mbappe replies: “The exact moment took place when I was a kid, it’s easy. As I said before it was a dream, then it became a goal and when you become a professional you know you are closer to that dream.
“I knew it was my goal to play at Real Madrid.
“Now I am so lucky this dream has come true and I want to make the most of this.”
Kylian Mbappe press conference
The press conference is here, and after a brief introduction it’s time for the questions:
He’s first asked about how he feels
Mbappe: “It’s an honour and a huge privilege for me to be a Real Madrid player, it’s a fantastic day for my family and friends, today has surpassed my expectations and I’d like to thank the clubs and the fans.”
He has brought a small model of the stadium given he says by family and friends when he was a child and it was a hope he would one day join the club.
Kylian Mbappe unveiled at Real Madrid
Mbappe started his speech to the surprise of at least some in the crowd in fluent-sounding Spanish: “Good afternoon everyone.
“I’m going to try to speak Spanish, wow it’s such an incredible feeling to be here, just incredible.
“I spent endless nights dreaming about one day playing for Real Madrid and today I am one happy guy.”
It had been revealed by Florentino Perez that Mbappe had been invited to the club in 2012 by Zidane, so his journey had come almost full circle.
Kylian Mbappe press conference
It’s not clear exactly when the press conference will start, but we will be bringing you all the news and updates as soon as it does.
Beforehand, we will recap some of Mbappe’s key phrases from his opening speech as he was unveiled to the Bernabeu.
Kylian Mbappe signs for Real Madrid
Here are some other things Mbappe has got up to today:
Kylian Mbappe press conference
With the presentation out of the way, attention turns to Kylian Mbappe’s first press conference as a Real Madrid player.
He did the address in Spanish, but it will be seen whether his language skills are good enough to navigate the press conference.
Kylian Mbappe unveiled at Real Madrid
Here are some more photos from the ceremony:
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