Instead of sitting with his teammates, striker Kylian Mbappe sat with his mother after being replaced in the middle of Monaco’s 0-0 draw with PSG in round 24 of Ligue 1.

Mbappe played poorly in the first half and had to make way for Randal Kolo Muani at the beginning of the second half. When he returned after half-time, he did not return to the bench. The French superstar greeted fans, took pictures and signed autographs for them before going to the stands to sit with his mother and representative Fayza Lamari.

Cameras continuously recorded images of Mbappe smiling brightly in the stands while watching his teammates play. It is unclear whether he was replaced by coach Luis Enrique because of physical or professional problems, but Mbappe’s actions were considered by the French media to be intended to challenge the Spanish strategist.

Mbappe (middle) smiled brightly as he watched his teammates play in the second half of the match against Monaco at Louis II Stadium on March 1. Photo: FFW© Provided by VnExpress

During 45 minutes on the field, Mbappe was in pain at times after a collision with defender Guilermo Maripan but still stood up and played normally. For the second match in a row, coach Enrique pulled him off the field early, at a time when PSG was at a disadvantage. In the previous round, defending champion France equalized 1-1 after Mbappe left the field in the 65th minute. In the match at Louis II Stadium on March 1, PSG also played better after Mbappe left the field, but did not score and accepted. Draw with host Monaco 0-0.