Michael Olise has been impressing fans for months with his performances on the field. Off the field, however, the Bayern star continues to spark debate. His reserved nature is viewed critically by some observers. Now, France’s captain Kylian Mbappé has publicly stood behind his teammate and sent a clear message to critics.
On the field, Michael Olise has become one of the defining faces of FC Bayern and the French national team. After his outstanding season in Munich, the 24-year-old is considered one of the most exciting attacking players in the world and is even being mentioned in connection with the Ballon d’Or.
Off the field, however, Olise stands out for one thing above all else: his reserve.
The Frenchman largely avoids the public eye, rarely gives interviews, and is also conspicuously reserved on social media. It is precisely this attitude that repeatedly sparks debate—especially in France.
Mbappé explains Olise’s personality
Ahead of the World Cup opener against Senegal, Kylian Mbappé spoke about his teammate, making it clear that Olise’s behavior should by no means be misunderstood. “Michael is introverted. He’s a man of few words. But his feet speak for him. Take him as he is. He’ll never change,” explained the captain of the Équipe Tricolore.
In doing so, the Real Madrid star demonstratively stood up for the Bayern Munich pro and defended his personality.
In France, there has also been ongoing discussion about Olise’s language skills. Since the forward was born and raised in England, there has been repeated speculation about how good his French actually is.
Olise himself had recently put this discussion into perspective, explaining that he speaks mostly French with his mother.
Mbappé has now also dispelled the doubts. “We speak French now, and he speaks it well,” emphasized the French national team captain.
He then added with a wink: “You guys in the media will never know if his French is improving because he probably doesn’t talk to you much. He doesn’t like that—that’s just how he is.”
“The player of today and tomorrow”
However, Mbappé’s appreciation for Olise’s footballing abilities seems to be even greater than his admiration for his personality.
After national team coach Didier Deschamps had already raved about the Bayern star in recent days, Mbappé now also had nothing but praise. “He is the player of today and tomorrow. He has this elegance, this vision in his game. I get along very well with him,” the forward explained.
For Olise, the World Cup could become the next milestone in his career. Following his outstanding debut season with FC Bayern, he has now become one of the most important attacking players on the French national team as well. Expectations for the creative player are correspondingly high.