UCL win a 'matter of pride' for Mbappe

Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe said that helping his hometown club to finally win its first Champions League title is a matter of pride for him, after scoring twice to help guide his team to a 4-1 comeback win in Barcelona — and into the semifinals — with a 6-4 aggregate victory on Tuesday.

Mbappe, who is set to leave PSG in the summer, with Real Madrid as the biggest favorite to sign him, told reporters that his future is not in his mind, and that his focus is totally on bringing glory to the French capital.

"I have the dream of winning the Champions League for Paris," Mbappe told reporters at Barcelona Olympic stadium on Tuesday.

"I'm proud to be at PSG since the first day. It's not because there are good times and bad times that my pride takes a hit. The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it's something special for me who grew up there.

"To experience an evening like this one as a Parisian, it's great. We have one more step to go before we reach the final in Wembley, so we need to stay calm."

Having failed to get past the round of 16 in the last two seasons, and being pinned against the ropes by a Barca side that was in the ascendancy, PSG put on a gritty performance to make the most of the home side's mistakes and turn the tie around.

"We beat a great team this evening, but even if we had lost, I would be proud to be Parisian. Of course, during evenings like this, the pride is even greater," Mbappe said.

"We are very happy, we beat a team that we needed to beat to get closer to the final. This one is for the fans that came here to support us and for those back home. It's a night to be proud."

Reuters