Santiago Bernabéu's gaze toward Kylian Mbappé (27, Real Madrid) is cooling. The issue is not simply an injury absence. His actions and messages that have appeared whenever the team falters late in the season are fueling fans' anger.
Spanish outlet El Desmarque reported on the 11th (Korean time) that Mbappé's recent behavior is being interpreted as messages aimed at Real Madrid and its fans. Real Madrid lost 0-2 to Barcelona in the El Clásico held the same day. They had to watch their rival clinch the league title right in front of them. Mbappé was left out of the squad after a recurrence of his injury in the final training session before the match.
His absence itself could be seen as unavoidable. But an Instagram story posted during the match fanned the flames. Mbappé posted a photo of himself watching the El Clásico at home with the phrase "Hala Madrid" and a white heart.
The problem was the timing. Real Madrid was already trailing 0-2. From fans' perspective, a strange sense of distance was felt before any cheering. At the moment the team was collapsing, a short message from the ace outside the locker room became controversy rather than comfort.
Recent behavior has also aligned in an unfavorable way. Mbappé was spotted spending time with his partner Ester Expósito during his injury period. According to reports, he arrived in Madrid only 12 minutes before kickoff against Espanyol. The fact that an injured player went out is not the problem itself. However, because his return time on match day became controversial during a difficult period for the team, questions arose about his commitment.
On top of that came the atmosphere at the training ground. Amid reports of internal clashes within the Real Madrid squad, a scene was released showing Mbappé leaving Valdebebas while smiling. Taken individually, these could be minor scenes. But when the El Clásico defeat, injury recurrence, social media post, late return and reports of internal conflict came together, fans could not withstand it.
The fact that the World Cup is approaching also makes this sensitive. Some fans are questioning Mbappé's physical condition and desire to return. El Desmarque noted that each scene alone could be dismissed as a misunderstanding, but when viewed together with the recent trend they look like messages meant to emphasize his presence within the team. A player who should be at the center of Real Madrid has instead become the center of controversy.
There are not many fans who doubt Mbappé's ability. If anything, that makes the backlash larger. Real Madrid is a club more sensitive to attitude than defeat. He may not score and he may get injured. But on a night when the team collapses, what fans expected was not a short story but a shared display of suffering.
An ace is required to endure with the team as much as produce results. If Mbappé wants to win back fans, he needs proof on the pitch, not words. Ultimately, the answer Real Madrid wants is not on social media but on the grass of the next stadium.
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