Fans of French second division side SM Caen made their feelings about part-owner Kylian Mbappé clear on Friday, unfurling several banners during their 1-0 defeat to Clermont Foot.
“Mbappé, SMC is not your toy,” one of the signages read, a reference to the ownership group’s decision to sack the popular Nicolas Seube after a disappointing first half of the campaign.
“Before shining on the world stage, respect the local figures,” another of the banners read, with a third stating: “Here, legends are made through work and loyalty.”
Seube had been associated with Caen since 2001, making 477 league appearances and scoring 10 goals prior to his retirement in 2017. He was replaced by Portuguese coach Bruno Baltazar in December.
Mbappé became part of the executive group in charge of the club in July when his company’s investment fund bought an 80% stake in Caen from American firm Oaktree Capital.
The relationship between the Mbappés and Caen goes back a long way. In 2014, when Mbappé was 13, he almost signed for them before choosing Monaco.
Caen is located in Normandy, 240km west of Paris. The team sit 16th out of 18 teams in Ligue 2. The bottom two sides in the division are relegated automatically, while the team finishing in 16th enters a relegation playoff with the third-placed team in the league below.
Information from ESPN’s Julien Laurens contributed to this report.
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