France’s coach Didier Deschamps expressed concern on Monday about the negative impact of the recent report claiming that team captain Kylian Mbappe is being investigated for rape in Sweden.

Deschamps told reporters following their 2-1 win against Belgium in the UEFA Nations League that the report has created a negative atmosphere around the French national team.

The controversy surrounding Mbappe intensified when he was allowed to miss the team’s games this month to focus on his fitness.

The situation escalated further when a Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet, reported that an alleged rape had been reported to the police. Another publication, Expressen, specifically named Mbappe as the suspect.

Mbappe has denied the report, calling it “fake news.” Deschamps cautioned the media to exercise caution before publishing such sensitive information, emphasizing the need for verification before dissemination.

Deschamps also highlighted the importance of responsible reporting and expressed his confidence in Mbappe’s ability to handle the situation.

“Be careful when you pick things up,” Deschamps warned.

“You had better take a bit of a step back before publishing anything and everything, but these things happen so often,” he said, appearing to cast doubt on the report.

“There are things that are not difficult to verify, but if you credit any old thing…

“In any case, I am not going to talk to him about it. He is big enough to know how to communicate.”