The story of Kylian Mbappé at Real Madrid is far from being a long, quiet river. Even if his ability to score goals in abundance remains intact over the years, controversies still accompany the career of the French prodigy. In recent weeks, the subject that had Bondynois observers talking was the Ballon d’Or. Convinced that he deserves it after an XXL World Cup, Mbappé saw fit to support his candidacy with certainty in numerous media. Propaganda which clearly provoked a flood of criticism across the world and which would have created tensions with Ousmane Dembélé, another declared candidate, through some spicy declarations from both sides. The straw that broke Madrid’s back came in recent days. Victim of a hyperextension of the left knee on September 25 during the Blues rally, the French captain was authorized to leave the selection prematurely to begin his convalescence.
But instead of hiding in discretion and working on his own, Mbappé appeared in the heart of Paris and was seen in a famous nightclub in the capital alongside his partner Ester Exposito. To make matters worse, the player trained at AS Monaco saw fit to post a video on his social networks where we see him happily pedaling on a bike, helmet on his head. A sequence which caused great unease in the Spanish capital, and for good reason: just ten days ago, his own coach José Mourinho publicly warned his players about risky activities. “Fortunately or unfortunately, a footballer cannot ski or ride a bike. If you fall off the bike, you could miss three games or break a leg», had warned Special One. Seeing his star player bravely defy this recommendation, with a theoretically painful knee, made observers jump.
Spanish journalists destroy Kylian Mbappé
On television sets and the Iberian airwaves, anger quickly gave way to the point that Kylian Mbappé was in the pillory this Tuesday morning. In the famous show El Larguero on the Cadena SERjournalist Tomas Roncero did not mince his words to criticize the attitude of the Bondynois: “I don’t like it at all. Theoretically, everything is in order with the club’s agreement, but from my point of view, everything is wrong! To be the leader of a project, you have to lead by example. He should be like Cristiano Ronaldo or Raúl, who were the first to arrive at Valdebebas and the last to leave. He didn’t understand what Real Madrid represents. If he had understood what the Madrid supporters felt, he would not have repeated this kind of stunt.»
An opinion widely shared by Manu Carreño, who, on the same show, stated that “Mbappé has character traits unworthy of a player who must lead Real Madrid and be an example for his teammates“. Same story on the setEl Chiringuitowhere Josep Pedrerol issues a clear warning to the Frenchman: “I think Mbappé needs to think about what he wants and his goals. If he really wants the affection of Real fans after all, wasn’t that his dream? He risks ruining everything.» Top scorer in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup last season, Kylian Mbappé has clearly not started the season on the right end from a behavioral point of view despite eight goals already scored in eight matches in all competitions.
Real Madrid does not understand the Mbappé controversy
This new episode only adds to an already long list of major grievances accumulated since the arrival of the Frenchman. Last season, Mbappé had already attracted the wrath of the socios by wanting to play a Copa del Rey match against the modest club Talavera de la Reina solely to chase Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record in a calendar year. Faced with this overload, he missed an important match in the Spanish Super Cup and a decisive shock against Manchester City due to physical problems. Worse still, during the Clasico lost to FC Barcelona at the Camp Nou, the Frenchman, who remained sidelined due to an injury, published a message of encouragement on his social networks while his team was already 2-0 behind on the scoreboard.
Despite these recurring storms, Real Madrid remains united with its number 10. This Tuesday on the show El LargueroAnton Meana provides a disturbing explanation for these incessant trips back and forth to France as soon as a physical problem occurs: “Mbappé does not trust Real Madrid’s doctors. This has led him to prefer to seek treatment elsewhere, and Real Madrid are giving him carte blanche.» A dispute which dates back to a missed diagnosis on his knee after a match against Celta Vigo last season. At the same time, the journalist affirms that Real Madrid does not understand the violence of the controversies against Mbappé: “I did not perceive the slightest dissatisfaction at Real Madrid regarding Mbappé’s behavior. On this point, the club and its teammates assure us that there is no debate.» From now on, Kylian Mbappé will have to redeem hearts on the pitch. In this sense, he could be available this weekend against Villarreal (Saturday 9 p.m.).
