Behind the feud lies a real-world problem. In 2024, Mbappe purchased an 80 per cent stake in Caen through his firm Coalition Capital, investing about €20 million. The move, initially hailed as a heartfelt homecoming, quickly soured. By April 2025, Caen were relegated from Ligue 2 for the first time in 41 years. Fans stormed the pitch, waving banners that read “Mbappe, SMC is not your toy.”
Lay-offs, shrinking ticket sales, and mounting debt followed. Critics accused the ownership group of detachment and poor communication. Christophe Vaucelle of the Malherbe Normandy Kop said bluntly: “The Mbappé clan bears responsibility. They came, stayed invisible, and disconnected from the fans.”
For Mbappe, already balancing club duties at Madrid and captaincy of France, the Caen crisis dented his image as football’s flawless poster boy. The Orelsan lyric reopened old wounds and turned what could have been a local grievance into a national talking point.