Ex-Barcelona man Samuel Umtiti has disagreed with Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe’s claim of centre-backs having the easiest time out on the football pitch.
Earlier this April, Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) right-back Achraf Hakimi appeared as guests on French podcast The Bridge. The Real Madrid man became a major topic of discussion after he undermined the importance of centre-backs on the podcast last week.
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The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker claimed (h/t HITC):
“The easiest position in football? In my opinion, it’s centre-back. You’re covered from all sides, you can even play in a back three. It’s the only position where you see 40-year-old players still playing in Europe, at top clubs. A 40-year-old striker is finished.”
However, Umtiti has rejected his former France teammate’s recent comments. The former Barcelona defender suggested that centre-backs often have the least room for error while speaking on RMC (h/t GOAL):
“I don’t understand why he said that; Kylian knows this very well. I think I’ll have a word with him about it! That’s what strikers often say. In defence, it’s completely different. You make one mistake and you pay for it immediately, so it’s not necessarily the easier position.”
Umtiti, who helped France lift their second FIFA World Cup in 2018 with the help of Mbappe, further remarked:
“It’s true that playing with three defenders gives you greater security, but you’re still a defender at the end of the day. If you lose a one-on-one duel, you know the striker could run straight at goal and the match is over.”
Claiming all positions are equally vital to a team’s success on the pitch, the former Barcelona centre-back concluded:
“When you finish a match as a defender, you get a headache, because you have to be far more focused than a forward who can make 10 mistakes without it having much impact. I don’t think we should say that one position is easier than another; all positions are extremely important.”
Barcelona superstar Raphinha aiming to be available for Real Madrid clash next month
According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Raphinha has returned to Barcelona after spending a week in Brazil following his recent hamstring injury. He is keen to be fit for the Blaugrana‘s potential title-deciding La Liga game against rivals Real Madrid at Camp Nou on May 10.
Raphinha, 29, sustained his injury during the first half of Brazil’s 2-1 friendly defeat against France on March 26. The former Leeds United winger is reportedly likely to be out of first-team action for four more weeks.
So far this term, Raphinha has started 26 of his 31 appearances in all competitions for the Hansi Flick-coached outfit. The left-footed star has scored 19 goals and laid out eight assists in 2105 minutes of action for his side.
Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee
