It may be a little too early to talk about divorce, but what is certain is that the marriage between Real Madrid is going through a very complicated moment. The French striker is still very criticized this Monday, even though he did not even play against Espanyol on Sunday. Already very criticized because of the episode of his knee injury, not necessarily very good performances in the big leagues, a certain nonchalance on the pitch and many other subjects, his escapade in Italy with his friend Ester Exposito still earned him heavy criticism. Then, obviously, the comparisons with Vinicius Jr, brilliant against the Catalans and who clearly seems to be preferred to Kylian Mbappé with the fanbase.
Is the situation irreversible for Mbappé? Of course not. We know that in football, everything moves very quickly, and this same Vinicius Jr, who is praised today, was also vehemently criticized just a few weeks ago. Big performances would clearly allow Mbappé to turn around some jackets in Madrid. Only problem: Real Madrid has nothing left to play and the number 10 is very uncertain for the only interesting match remaining this season, namely the Clasico next Sunday. Suffice to say that he risks having to wait until the start of next season to perform well again with Real Madrid, and it is potentially problematic to leave for the World Cup, then on vacation, on a bad note.
Improving on the pitch… but also off it
We also know that the image and status of a player are not limited only to his performances on the field. Especially at a time when social networks have grown so much. Vinicius Jr, to quote the Brazilian again, understood this very well, and it is no coincidence that he multiplied the publications proclaiming his love for the club and its ambitions on his social networks, especially when he was in tough times. Kylian Mbappé, although very aware of these issues, could for example do the same to try to mend things a little with the fans, or at least, show that what is happening concerns him to a minimum, which many journalists and sociologists clearly doubt at the moment.
We can also suggest that the former PSG player be a little more careful about what he does in his life off the field in times of tension. There is no doubt that if he had had a string of big matches recently, no one would have blamed him for spending a few days in Italy. And Mbappé himself was probably well aware of the fallout to which he was exposing himself with this stay. Clearly, even if it means not being able to respond on the ground currently, the French international would be well advised to improve its communication and its image. Speaking out – via your social networks or an interview in a media – explaining your vision of the facts and delivering your truths, could also help to reconcile a little with the madridismo. What is certain, however, is that the current situation is not sustainable in the long term, for both the player and the club…
