Kylian Mbappe was receiving the usual ‘attention’ he gets from opposing defenders, with physcial treatment, fouls and general attempts to throw him off his game at Mendizorroza against Alaves. What was very out of the ordinary was his reaction.
Real Madrid’s superstar committed an egregious foul, jumping in with both feet off the ground and catching Alaves’ Antonio Blanco in the shin with his studs. Sent off, Mbappe will consider himself fortunate that he looks set to avoid a ban that would rule him out of the Copa del Rey final.
The incident of course occurred just three days before Real Madrid try to mount an historic comeback against Arsenal in the Champions League. According to Marca, both President Florentino Perez and manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke with Mbappe after the match. He apologised to both Blanco and the rest of the team, but Ancelotti and Perez, who traveled with the team to Vitoria-Gasteiz, did their best to support Mbappe. Their intention was to make him see that they needed the best Mbappe against Arsenal, the same one that scored a hat-trick against Manchester City just two months ago.
Los Blancos will need to pull out a performance that has not been seen from them this season if they are to be successful, and Cadena Cope say that Ancelotti gave a motivational speech to the Real Madrid squad on Monday at training. The Italian coach is characterised by his cool exterior and composure under pressure, but on this occasion raised his voice to the squad. He is aware that an important chunk of their season is on the line.
And perhaps his job. Ancelotti is likely to be judged on what silverware he can win this season, and increasingly it looks as if the Champions League and La Liga are slipping from Real Madrid’s grasp. It is not yet clear what role the Club World Cup will play in his future, but with Brazil hoping to bring in the Italian, they have set a deadline before things get underway in the United States.
About Author
