France Head coach Didier Deschamps announced on Monday that the report claiming captain Kylian Mbappe was being investigated for rape in Sweden "is not a good thing for the national team".
Coach Deschamps speaking to reporters following the 2-1 win in Belgium in the UEFA Nations League said: "Everyone is free to write what they want but there is a negative atmosphere around the French team."
Deschamps comments came in response to questions about Mbappe, who was allowed to sit out the team's games this month in order to work on his fitness.
In the build-up to last Thursday's win against Israel, that was already a topic of contention, but on Monday a Swedish newspaper reported that the Real Madrid striker was being investigated for rape after a visit to Stockholm.
Another publication, Expressen, stated that Mbappe was the suspect after Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that an alleged rape had been reported to police but did not say who was accused.
Speaking on the turn of events with the allegations on Mbappe, Deschamps warned: "Be careful when you pick things up."
Appearing to cast doubt on the report, he added: "You had better take a bit of a step back before publishing anything and everything, but these things happen so often."
"There are things that are not difficult to verify, but if you credit any old thing...
"In any case I am not going to talk to him about it. He is big enough to know how to communicate."
Meanwhile on Monday, Kylian Mbappe revealed that he was the victim of "fake news" after a Swedish newspaper reported an investigation had been opened for rape following a visit by the Real Madrid star's entourage to Stockholm.
Mbappe explained this in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) that there was a link between the report in the Aftonbladet newspaper and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday in his bitter dispute over unpaid wages with his former club Paris Saint-Germain.
"FAKE NEWS !!!!. It's becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance," Mbappe's tweet read.
Furthermore, the player's entourage called the report a "slanderous rumour" and threatened to take legal action.
Meanwhile Mbappe claims he is owed €55 million (£46 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions.
Mbappe was not selected for France's Nations League fixtures last week, and spent Thursday and Friday in the Swedish capital.
According to Aftonbladet's report, Mbappe and a group of people accompanying him dined at a restaurant, then went to a nightclub, on Thursday.
The newspaper went ahead to state that a rape was committed "in Stockholm city centre", citing a formal complaint made to police on Saturday that it had seen.
Aftonbladet mentioned that the complaint was made after the alleged victim had sought medical attention, but failed to put a name/face to the accusation.
A prosecutor investigating the accusation said: "A probe is underway into a crime that was reported on October 10th in the centre of Stockholm."
The Swedish police has reportedly refused giving any further details.
"In general, if we have received a complaint and decided to conduct interviews and we make it known (to the public), those involved in the case may take actions that delay and complicate the investigation," said police spokeswoman Carina Skagerlind.
Furthermore, the Swedish newspaper published photos on its website on Monday, showing police officers in front of the hotel where Mbappe and the group with him had stayed.
In a statement released, Mbappe's entourage said: "Today, a new slanderous rumour is starting to spread across the web from the Swedish media Aftonbladet.
"These accusations are completely false and irresponsible, and their propagation is unacceptable.
"In order to put an end to this methodical destruction of (the) image (of Kylian Mbappe), all necessary legal actions will be taken to re-establish the truth and pursue any person or media involved in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe is suffering repeatedly," the statement concluded.
Another source close to Paris Saint-Germain who claimed anonymity said it would "ignore" Mbappe's claim that there was a link between the report in Sweden and his dispute with the club.
