Former Monaco defender Eric Abidal says Kylian Mbappe has the talent to become one of the best players in the world, but only if he backs that up with dedication and discipline.
The 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward has enjoyed a meteoric rise since starring in Monaco’s Ligue 1 title-winning team last season, scoring 26 goals in 44 matches as the principality club not only clinched a first top-flight crown in 17 years, but also reached the Uefa Champions League semi-finals.
Mbappe was linked with the world's most prominent clubs this summer, but chose in August to make the move to PSG. Initially on loan, the transfer is expected to be made permanent next year, with Monaco netting €180 million (Dh776.4m) for the Frenchman.
Since then, Mbappe has formed a hugely effective front three alongside Edinson Cavani and Neymar - the Brazilian having joined this summer from Barcelona for a world record €222m fee. Between them, the trio have scored 22 goals already this campaign.
Like Neymar, Mbappe has been tipped as a future Ballon d’Or winner, with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger labelling the French international last month as the “new Pele”.
While Abidal did not go quite as far, the 2006 World Cup finalist with France said Mbappe undoubtedly has the ability to in future rank as one of the game’s foremost footballers.
"Yes he can," said Abidal, in Abu Dhabi on Monday as part of the Fifa Club World Cup draw ceremony. "But I can say also that he has to, because he has a lot of talent, is only 18 years old. PSG have hired one of the best players of his age so he deserves a good career.
“But he has to work. Talent is not enough - you have to work every day. And with Neymar and other good players around him he has to learn from them. I’m French and he’s French, too, so I hope in a few years he wins some titles with his club and maybe in a personal capacity too like a Ballon d’Or.”
Abidal, who retired in December 2014, is best known for his time with Barcelona. The full-back spent six years at Camp Nou from 2007, winning a host of trophies including the Primera Liga four times and the Champions League twice.
Barcelona have begun the 2017/18 season in superb form, winning all nine matches across the league and the Champions League. They currently lead the Spanish top flight by five points from Sevilla, with champions and arch rivals Real Madrid a further two points back in fifth.
______________
Read more
John McAuley: Real Madrid want to make history in UAE
Henk ten Cate: Madrid not a distraction for Al Jazira
Stadium guide: Two arenas hosting 2017 tournament
Team guide: Facts about competitors at 2017 event
______________
“Now is not the time to talk because it’s the start of the season,” Abidal said. “I know the mindset of the club is always to win titles. The players are never different. Barca is Barca and they will fight every year to win titles.
"But they know Real Madrid are also fighting and the smallest teams always want to beat Barcelona, too, so they have to be focused. Like Mbappe, they have to work every day to achieve this."
- Subscribe to iTunes to download all of The National's Extra Time podcasts
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Results
2.30pm Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner Lamia, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
3pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner Jap Al Afreet, Elione Chaves, Irfan Ellahi.
3.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner MH Tawag, Bernardo Pinheiro, Elise Jeanne.
4pm Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner Skygazer, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.30pm The Ruler of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh250,000 1,700m
Winner AF Kal Noor, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
5pm Sharjah Marathon (PA) Dh70,000 2,700m
Winner RB Grynade, Bernardo Pinheiro, Eric Lemartinel.
Four-day collections of TOH
Day Indian Rs (Dh)
Thursday 500.75 million (25.23m)
Friday 280.25m (14.12m)
Saturday 220.75m (11.21m)
Sunday 170.25m (8.58m)
Total 1.19bn (59.15m)
(Figures in millions, approximate)
2019 Asian Cup final
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
