30 Apr 2026 12:02 BST |
5 min read
Kylian Mbappe faces criticism at Real Madrid for failing to be the ‘leader’ the club needs either on the field or behind the scenes, according to one well-placed source.
Mbappe may have become Los Blancos’ star player, scoring 41 goals in 41 games for the Bernabeu side this season, but doubts have been raised over his long-term impact at the club.
The France international star has played 100 times since arriving as a free agent from PSG in the summer of 2024, but he faces criticism in Spain for failing to provide a figure that the squad can rally around.
This has been evidenced in the manner in which Xabi Alonso’s time at the club disintegrated due to background chaos that was made public when Vinicius Junior stormed off the field against Barcelona in the first Clasico of the season.
Kylian Mbappe faces Real Madrid review
Alvaro Arbeloa has fared no better in the dugout since taking command in January, and it has now been claimed by journalist Juanma Castano that Los Blancos had hoped for more from the former Monaco man.
“Behind closed doors, Real Madrid believe that Mbappe isn’t the leader they expected, either on the pitch or the locker room,” he told Cadena Cope (via Marca).
“He’s not a leader in the locker room or on the field with the rest of the players.
“He was expected to be step up. Mbappe was expected to act as a leader, ahead of Vinicius, who needs to be looked after, protected and kept an eye on in the game.”
‘Selfish’ Mbappe faces criticism
Mbappe has previously been criticised for a selfish attitude on the field by former Arsenal, Barcelona and France star Emmanuel Petit.
Following Real Madrid’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, Petit told RMC: “It’s not solely Mbappe’s fault. But his arrival filled the Real Madrid dressing room with selfishness. It’s a fiasco.
“The timing really works against him. Since PSG have been playing like a team, they have been phenomenal. They are all united, like the fingers of a hand.”
Real Madrid’s dressing room has been in disarray for much of the season, with no senior figure at the club willing to take ownership of the problem.
Analysis: This is a problem of Real Madrid’s making
By sacking Alonso rather than backing the manager, president Florentino Perez effectively gave the squad the green light to continue behaving as they had.
Arbeloa has clashed with players, notably captain Dani Carvajal, with the unruly Galactico culture having apparently fully set in.
This latest report would seem to indicate that Real Madrid had expected senior players such as Mbappe to discipline the playing staff and keep them in line.
That was always likely to be a difficult task given that the Frenchman effectively has a direct rivalry with Vinicius Junior to be the club’s alpha star.
Real Madrid have dallied over the Brazilian’s contract extension, which he wants to ensure he is brought on wage parity with Mbappe, and the tension over this issue has hung over the squad.
Mbappe might not be the leader that Real Madrid would have wished him to become, but equally the conditions he has been presented with have been dire. This is a situation of the club’s own making.
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