Kylian Mbappe is not, despite being booed, Real Madrid’s “biggest problem” as the Blancos are told too many players “want to win the Ballon d’Or”.
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Blancos crashed out of Champions LeagueFighting to defend La Liga titlePlayers accused of focusing on themselvesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
World Cup winner Mbappe, who became another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024, faced taunts from the terraces after seeing Real bow out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage against Premier League giants Arsenal.
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The Frenchman has faced questions throughout his debut campaign in Spain, despite hitting 34 goals, with club president Florentino Perez considered to be overly concerned with signing so-called 'names' rather than assembling a fully functioning squad.
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There are now “too many egos” in Madrid, with a number of supposed superstars allowing their standards to dip, and Mbappe has become a scapegoat for collective struggles that could have been avoided.
AFPWHAT EMMANUEL PETIT SAID
Mbappe’s fellow Frenchman, Emmanuel Petit, who spent time in La Liga himself with Barcelona during his playing days, has told : “What has gone wrong for Real Madrid? The biggest problem at Real Madrid isn’t Kylian Mbappe, it's Florentino Perez.
“Toni Kroos retired and Luka Modric turned 39, those guys controlled the midfield for years and made them unbeatable. They were amazing players and it’s like Real Madrid didn’t realise it or plan for the future without them.
“Kylian Mbappe is being booed after they lost in the Champions League and I’ve been one of the only people to defend him. He is being killed. You can't have the best strikers in the world and not provide him a midfield to create chances, there is no control of the game, no rhythm.
“Perez was obsessed with Kylian Mbappe for three seasons and all of a sudden his dream came true, but he didn’t see what was happening in midfield, with Kroos and Modric. Vinicius Junior isn’t the same player as last season, Jude Bellingham isn’t the same player, Rodrygo is the same, and the midfield isn’t there behind them.
“You also see Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger falling out in training, the atmosphere isn’t good, and the dressing room isn’t good. This team looks to have too many egos and too many players who want to win the Ballon d’Or. Madrid has been the biggest club in the world because of the individual, but most importantly, because of the team. That’s not there right now.”
