Kylian Mbappe’s recent actions have caused some distance between him and the Real Madrid team.
Real Madrid may have allowed Kylian Mbappe to take a trip to Italy, but people inside the team aren’t too happy about how things have unfolded recently, according to reports from Spain.
On Sunday evening, just 12 minutes before Madrid’s game against Espanyol started, Mbappe arrived back in Madrid after a short holiday in Cagliari with his girlfriend, Ester Exposito. He had hurt his hamstring in last month’s 1-1 draw against Real Betis and was given permission by the club to rest.
“Real Madrid’s medical team always manages injured players and decides when they need to be at training or can stay away,” explained manager Alvaro Arbeloa. “In his free time, Mbappe can do what he wants, just like any other player.”
However, the timing of this trip – while Madrid is trailing league leaders Barcelona and having a tough season – has raised some eyebrows among the fans. A report from Spanish newspaper AS says Mbappe’s holiday and how much attention it got on social media has caused “confusion and discomfort” inside the club.
“There wasn’t much appreciation for how visible Mbappe’s trip was online, partly because the player didn’t stay out of the spotlight,” the report added. With Barcelona close to winning La Liga, some people at Madrid find Mbappe’s actions hard to understand during such a sensitive time.
Also, while his teammates were fully focused on the game against Espanyol, the “level of attention” around Mbappe’s trip has reportedly made him feel more distant from the team in the locker room.
After Vinicius Jr scored twice in the second half to secure a win on Sunday, Jude Bellingham shared some team photos on his Instagram story, including a group picture. A fan account on X posted a screenshot with the caption “OH,” and it quickly went viral with over eight million views.
Real Madrid are now 11 points behind Barcelona with only four games left. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, May 10, at Camp Nou.