"Mbappé, Caen is not your toy." The Frenchman Ruined His Hometown Club In Six Months

After the forward bought shares, the team’s situation only got worse.

Real Madrid’s French striker Kylian Mbappé joined Los Blancos this summer and soon after made a major investment — becoming a co-owner of Caen, a club competing in France’s second division. This choice was no coincidence. Mbappé took his first footballing steps there, and given the club’s financial struggles, he decided to help.

At the time, it seemed like things were looking up for Caen. In recent years, the team had consistently finished in the top half of the table, and with a superstar like Mbappé coming in as co-owner, many expected financial stability and a push for promotion. The club was tipped for a return to the top flight. And it still is — just not in the way fans had hoped. Instead of moving up, Caen is facing its first relegation to the third division in 40 years, which would cost them their professional status.

Right now, the team owned by Mbappé sits firmly at the bottom of the table, riding a brutal streak of 10 consecutive defeats. This is certainly not what fans envisioned when the French star took over their beloved club.

After Mbappé’s arrival, Caen signed a few intriguing free agents but also sold key players and sacked their legendary head coach. Fans reacted with skepticism and began protesting against Kylian’s decisions.

"Mbappé, Caen is not your toy," read one of the banners. Another fan mocked him on social media: "Hello, Kylian Mbappé. Sorry to bother you, but have you heard of Caen? It’s a small club at the bottom of Ligue 2 (only National is below it). Maybe you could spare five minutes to check how they’re doing?"

During the winter transfer window, Caen didn’t sign a single new player, bringing in only a loanee from Cyprus. However, there were some changes off the pitch: the sporting director and club chef were replaced, a new gym was installed, and two fitness coaches were hired. But none of that has made a difference. Caen keeps losing, and time to turn things around is running out.

Published by Patrick Jane
19.02.2025