Kylian Mbappé has encouraged supporters of Real Madrid to direct their frustrations at the team as a whole instead of individual players. This statement comes in light of Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham being booed by fans at the Bernabéu during Saturday’s match.
The Madrid fans displayed their dissatisfaction throughout a 2-0 LaLiga victory over Levante, following a week marked by defeat in the Supercopa final and elimination from the Copa del Rey, which also led to coach Xabi Alonso being replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa.
During the match, Vinícius and Bellingham bore the brunt of the crowd’s jeers, accompanied by chants calling for president Florentino Pérez to resign.
“I understand the fans’ point of view, but what I don’t agree with is that if they choose to boo, it should be the entire squad,” Mbappé remarked during a press conference on Monday, just ahead of Madrid’s Champions League clash with AS Monaco.
“One player shouldn’t be singled out. The entire team shares the blame… The Madrid fans aren’t against us; they’re simply frustrated, which is understandable.”
Vinícius has faced challenges this season with inconsistent performance, rumors about his future, and a public altercation with Alonso after he reacted negatively to being substituted during October’s Clásico.
“It’s not Vini’s fault that we’re not performing well,” Mbappé said. “If the fans want to boo, they should do so for the whole team. We need to improve our situation… Vini, like anyone else, is human.”
“I care deeply for him. As a team, we need to better support him. I want him to know he will never be alone at Real Madrid.”
Mentioning the recent changes in management, Mbappé appeared less than pleased when asked about any discontent in the dressing room leading to Alonso’s dismissal. Reports from ESPN suggest that both Vinícius and Bellingham were not fully convinced by the former coach.
“It’s not true to say that Xabi failed at Real Madrid,” Mbappé stated. “He left before everything was resolved. We lost the Supercopa and then the Copa after he had departed. I believe Xabi will be a great coach… What happened was a club decision that we must respect.”
“There are many things being said that aren’t accurate, and some are partially true but mostly false,” he added. “Our role is to stay focused and perform on the pitch.”
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The forward, whose goals have helped keep Madrid just a point off the top of the league, referred to Bellingham as “one of the best players in the world.”
“It’s definitely a challenging time for him, just like for all of us,” Mbappé expressed. “We acknowledge that the fans are unhappy, but they should apply equal standards to everyone… It’s not Jude’s fault; it’s our responsibility to improve the situation.”
New coach Arbeloa, whose brief tenure has included a cup defeat to second-tier Albacete and Saturday’s victory over Levante, stated that Vinícius will remain a key player when fit and in form.
“What Vini desires, and what I hope for, is the support from the Bernabéu,” Arbeloa commented. “I believe he needs the fans behind him to perform at his best. He’s an emotional player with a big heart, and I’d love for the fans to rally around him.”