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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe seemingly took aim at Les Parisiens manager Christophe Galtier on Instagram following the Ligue 1 giants' draw against Stade Reims.
Reims held French champions PSG to a 0-0 draw in Ligue 1 on Saturday, October 8. The stalemate saw Galtier's side drop points for only the second time in the league this season.
Sergio Ramos being given marching orders after receiving two yellow cards in a matter of seconds in the first half did not help the Parisians' cause. The defending champions were also notably without Lionel Messi and Neymar in the starting XI.
Kylian Mbappe thus led the line for PSG, with Carlos Soler and Pablo Sarabia supporting him. It is worth noting that Neymar came on as a substitute for Soler before the hour mark, but to no avail.
Reacting to the match, Mbappe took to Instagram to express his thoughts and posted a story on his account. While the forward has since deleted the story, it did not go unnoticed among fans. He wrote [via Get French Football News]:
"Tie game, [on to the] match on Tuesday."
While the statement seems harmless, it is one of the two hashtags Mbappe put under it that has now grabbed headlines. It read: #PivotGang.
Get French Football News has suggested that the hashtag is a dig at PSG manager Galtier. The outlet recalled Mbappe's recent comments about how he prefers to play alongside a target man rather than being the number 9.
It is alleged that the France international was expressing his frustration at continuously being played as a centre-forward for the Parisians. The player has struggled to stay away from controversy in recent months.
What has Kylian Mbappe said about his role at PSG?
Kylian Mbappe recently admitted that he has more freedom to operate while playing for France compared to PSG. He also suggested that he does not enjoy playing as a 'pivot' for Les Parisiens. He said:
“I play differently. I am asked other things here in relation to my club. I have a lot more freedom here. The coach knows that there is a number 9 like Oliv' [Giroud] who occupies the defenses and I can walk around and go into space.”
The 23-year-old forward added:
“In Paris, it's different, there isn't that. I am asked to do the pivot, it is different.”
It now remains to be seen if Mbappe's actions will see his relationship with Galtier deteriorate.
