Updated: 6 May 2026 18:11 BST |
4 min read
Kylian Mbappe is at the heart of a storm at Real Madrid, with the squad starting to turn on the former PSG attacker.
The dressing room is reportedly completely fed up with the attitude of the French forward, who seems to be increasingly isolating himself from the rest of the group.
There is much talk in the Spanish capital about the privileges enjoyed by the exorbitantly high earner. Tensions reached a new boiling point when the injured player returned from a private trip to the Italian island of Sardinia only just before the kick-off of the league match against Espanyol.
According to Sport sources close to the club, his individualistic attitude is causing increasing resentment among his team-mates. For instance, Mbappe reportedly recently arrived 40 minutes late for a joint players’ lunch and displayed disdainful behaviour towards a staff member during a training session.
Due to this attitude, the top scorer, who has already scored 15 times in the Champions League this season, is becoming increasingly isolated. Mbappe is said to associate almost exclusively with his French compatriots within the squad.
Private trip
The player’s camp is telling a very different story. The striker’s entourage states that he did not violate any internal rules with his trip, as the free weekend was agreed upon in consultation with the club. Team-mates Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois were also given the freedom to travel during their rehabilitation.
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, whose position is under heavy pressure following a poor run of form, did not want to publicly burn his fingers on the matter.
“Every player does what he deems appropriate in his free time,” responded the beleaguered coach to his player’s escapade.
However, the relationship between the fans and the star player seems to have cooled considerably. Leading French source L’Equipe reports that many players are watching the situation with dismay, while the supporters are turning against him more and more emphatically.
Campaigns are now circulating on social media from a segment of Madridismo openly calling for his departure. This unrest comes at an extremely inopportune moment for the La Liga runners-up, who are currently facing a substantial deficit behind league leaders Barcelona.
El Clasico
Mbappe remains a heavy doubt for Sunday’s Clasico against arch-rivals Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou. He has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring problem against Real Betis in April.
On Wednesday, Mbappe will undergo a new, decisive medical test to determine whether he will be fit for El Clasico. The technical staff hope to include him in the squad as Los Blancos
However, anyone viewing the situation through a broader lens sees that the coming weeks will be decisive for the dynamics in Madrid. Should he fail to feature on Sunday or leave a poor impression, the situation surrounding the new signing threatens to escalate further.
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