Roy Keane insisted Kylian Mbappe was “out of order” after re-entering the pitch and sitting down immediately at the end of France’s Euro 2024 win against Austria.
The France captain, who created the only goal of the game which gave France a winning start to the tournament in Dusseldorf, was left covered in blood after his head hit the shoulder of Austria defender Kevin Danso following a challenge in the air.
Yet France boss Didier Deschamps was left incensed when Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano didn’t allow Les Bleus to make a substitute when the ball next went out of play.
Mbappe then, without permission from the official, re-entered the field of play with a bloody shirt and immediately sat back down. Manzano then ran over and booked the France captain and ex-Manchester United captain Keane was left unimpressed with Mbappe’s behaviour.
“He’s gone back on the pitch, whether he’s trying to stop the play, but just sitting on the pitch, I don’t like to see this… this is out of order,” Keane told ITV Sport.
“Listen, whether he’s been instructed by the manager to go back, he’s had treatment, he’s come off. To go back on and sit on the pitch, he deserved that yellow card – you don’t like to see it!”
Gary Neville, also on punditry duties, agreed with his former team-mate: “I think he [Mbappe] looks at Deschamps and he’s gone ‘get on’.
“I think he’ll think he’s let himself down.”
After sustaining a suspected broken nose, Mbappe’s availability for France’s next match on Friday against the Netherlands is in doubt.
It had been a mixed evening for Mbappe until that point, with the star forward playing a key role in France’s only goal of the goal as his cross deflected in off Austria defender Max Wober.
But Mbappe, who joins Real Madrid on 1 July, was unable to score his first goal at the European Championships after wasting a golden chance to double France’s lead when sent through on goal.
France held on in Dusseldorf to open their Euro 2024 with a victory, joining Netherlands on three points after their opening Group D win over Poland. Les Blues face the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday night.