Mauricio Pochettino: "Kylian Mbappe is arrogant in a good way"

A few days before the match between France and England in the World Cup quarterfinals, Mauricio Pochettino spoke about the strong personality of Kylian Mbappe and drew a parallel between the Parisian and Harry Kane.

Currently without a team, Mauricio Pochettino (who left PSG at the end of last season) is working with media outlet The Athletic and offering his thoughts about different topics during the World Cup.

In his latest column for the platform, the Argentine coach analyzed the clash between England and France in the quarterfinals, comparing Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe.

An opportunity to emphasize the sometimes controversial personality of the Parisian striker.

"When I took over the reins of Paris Saint-Germain, halfway through the 2020-21 season, Kylian had just turned 22 but had won four Ligue 1 titles and one World Cup," Pochettino wrote before acknowledging that Mbappe "made a big difference" and that he "had a lot of confidence."

Mauricio Pochettino thinks that PSG forward Kylian Mbappe is arrogant... but "in a good way"

“Of course, Kylian has an ego, but in a good way. All great players have a big ego. It is impossible not to have one," said the former Parisian coach.

“It is very important for me to convey that Kylian is a very nice guy. He is arrogant in a good way,” Pochettino continued.

The Argentine gaffer also took a moment to defend the PSG star from the usual criticism. "It is difficult to handle so much pressure being so young." "Perhaps the media give a different image, but the reality is that it is a very nice guy to manage," said Pochettino of Mbappe.

Unlike Harry Kane, Mauricio Pochettino explains that Mbappe "does not need to feel connected to the game" and that he is "so confident in himself." Pochettino informed readers that Mbappe surely is confident in that he always thinks when the ball finally reaches his feet "he will beat his opponents" and that he will do "something incredible" to try and win the game for his team.

Pochettino knows what he is talking about since Mbappe has helped him win a good number of games in their time together in Paris, although PSG did not seem to be able to win collectively ultimately leading to the Argentine getting axed last summer.