In the past two weeks, Real Madrid has dominated headlines, and after their recent victory against Real Oviedo at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday night, Kylian Mbappe added fuel to the fire. He raised eyebrows by publicly questioning manager Alvaro Arbeloa, alleging that he had been informed he was designated as the ‘fourth forward in the squad.’
Arbeloa has strongly denied that accusation, insisting that he made no such statements. After returning from injury to play the last 22 minutes against Oviedo, Mbappe faced a chorus of boos from the fans. To the surprise of many in attendance, he then ventured into the mix zone, deviating from Real Madrid’s usual press protocols, and spent about seven minutes answering journalists’ questions.
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Mbappe Questions Arbeloa’s Management
In addition to claiming he was labeled as the fourth forward, Mbappe voiced concerns about Arbeloa’s management style. Despite asserting that he had no personal issues with the coach, Mbappe’s comments hinted at his dissatisfaction. “We began the season strongly in La Liga and the Champions League, but we lost our momentum in the second half. It’s disheartening because we appeared to have a solid playing style, which has now faded away,” he remarked.
Reasons Behind Mbappe’s Outburst
According to Diario AS, there are three main factors that led Mbappe to express his frustrations publicly. Firstly, after recovering from an injury, he was surprised to learn that he would be on the bench for El Clasico. He expressed his desire to play a key role against Barcelona.
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Secondly, Arbeloa had seemingly implied doubts about Mbappe’s attitude during a press conference after their match against Espanyol, which he missed due to injury. Arbeloa’s comments suggested that ‘Real Madrid was built with players who give their all, not those with inflated egos’, which Mbappe perceived as a direct critique of his professionalism.
The third issue driving Mbappe’s discontent was Arbeloa’s decision to send him onto the pitch against Oviedo alone instead of alongside Jude Bellingham and Dani Carvajal just minutes earlier, a move that Mbappe interpreted as a deliberate act that exposed him to a potentially hostile reception from the Bernabeu crowd.