2 Jun 2026 13:08 BST |
5 min read
France legend Marcel Desailly believes that Jose Mourinho must adjust his Real Madrid system to suit Kylian Mbappe next season.
Mourinho, 63, is set to be appointed as the new Los Blancos manager this summer and he will be tasked with guiding them back to winning ways after two consecutive seasons without a major trophy.
Real Madrid’s barren run has coincided with the arrival of Mbappe on a free transfer in 2024, while his former club Paris Saint-Germain have won back-to-back Champions League titles since his departure.
However, former AC Milan and Chelsea defender Desailly doesn’t believe that his compatriot is an issue and has urged Mourinho to deploy a system that allows Mbappe to remain in an attacking position even when Real Madrid are defending.
“Mbappé has never really been a problem for a coach. Mourinho will tell you the same thing: ‘I’m happy about my 40 or 42 goals a year from Mbappé, I just have to adapt around him.’ He’s the striker,” the 1998 World Cup winner told FootballTransfers, on behalf of MrRaffle.com.
“Everybody can comment on what happens with his private life or his need to move around. Surely there are Madrid supporters who think a player should not have a private life and should just be dedicated entirely to the club.
“There is always this perception. I felt it also when I was playing football – where, in a certain way, you belong to the fans. That is correct and we are happy for it, but let’s not exaggerate. I do what I want in my free moments. Don’t come and ask me about it. So I don’t see him as a problem for Mourinho. It’s just an adjustment.”
Desailly continued: “As I said, the associations are not correct yet. Is it Mbappé? Is it Vinícius? Is it Rodrygo? Is it Bellingham? Or is it the system that has been put in place? They have not yet found the combination.
“Arda Güler came into the system to try and bring that impact, intensity, and talent, but it didn’t work. Collectively, the passing and the possession were not up to the level they were expecting.
“But it’s not fully because of Mbappé. He’s not defending? Fine. What is your problem? You can afford one player – eventually one and a half or two – in a team who doesn’t get back into a defensive position. Yes, you can afford it. You are Real Madrid. You can adjust it, especially for a player who scores 40 goals a season.”
Kylian Mbappe situation at Real Madrid
In early May, it was widely rumoured that Mbappe’s relationship with the rest of the Real Madrid squad was fractured, with his team-mates reportedly angered by his attitude in training and his treatment of the club’s coaching staff.
He then travelled to Cagliari in Italy with his partner Ester Exposito, an actress and Netflix star, and the Spanish media claimed there were doubts over whether this had been sanctioned by the club.
His recovery from a recent hamstring injury was also controversial, with Mbappe returning to Paris to see a specialist and ending up remaining there for a week.
As a result, the appointment of Mourinho is likely to be pivotal for Mbappe’s Real Madrid career, with the Special One turned to in a bid to fix the issues that currently run deep within the first-team squad at the Bernabeu.
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