Mourinho calls criticism of Mbappé ridiculous, says booing would be a win for the press
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho dismissed the criticism of Kylian Mbappé as ridiculous on Friday, the day before the Villarreal match at the Santiago Bernabéu. He said that a jeering crowd would hand a victory to the press.
Mourinho rejects the criticism
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho spoke to the press at Valdebebas on Friday 9 October, the day before his side hosts Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu. Asked about possible jeers for Kylian Mbappé during the match, Mourinho called the debate ridiculous and said that a trial of the player by the stadium would be a win for the media. He listed other cases he had expected reporters to pursue, including Manchester City, the old Negreira story and the difficult situation between Cristiano and his coach in Portugal, and said none of them had been enough.
If tomorrow that situation happens, a trial of Mbappé, for you, the press, will be a great victory.
Mourinho said Real Madrid's players had been exemplary during the international break. He also said that Real Madrid is the Real Madrid and that the press always has to get something out of it.
The knee, Paris and Switzerland
Mbappé left the France squad during the international break after a fall that caused hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee, according to El Confidencial. He returned to Real Madrid's training ground at Valdebebas on Monday 5 October after a few days off. Mourinho defended two episodes that critics had seized on: a nightclub visit that he said had been converted into a venue for a private fashion event in Paris, and a bicycle ride at a Swiss hotel made up of small houses, which he described as transport between common areas.
It was not the Tour of Switzerland.
Mourinho also said Mbappé went to an outside specialist for a consultation because of his knee history, and that the diagnosis matched the one made at the club. Injured players reported to the club's facilities immediately and followed their recovery plans, he said. He then offered a counterpoint to the reporters present.
Do you want a story? It is the first time in 10 years that Madrid reaches mid-October without an injured player.
- Mbappé returns to the Valdebebas training ground
- Daniel Riolo says on El Larguero that Mbappé could leave in summer 2027
- Mourinho calls the criticism of Mbappé ridiculous at his Valdebebas press conference
- Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu
Pressure inside the club
El Mundo describes a squad under strain. Madrid is fourth in the table, six points behind Barcelona, after losing the derby to Atlético Madrid, and the club has gone two years without a title. The next fixtures are Villarreal this Saturday, Sevilla the following round and then a visit to the Camp Nou to play Barcelona in a match that could be decisive for the title. El Mundo links the dispute to Mbappé's conduct earlier in the season, including his interview strategy after the defeat at the Metropolitano, which it says was meant to boost his Ballon d'Or candidacy. It also recalls his handling of a muscle injury in May, when he landed at Barajas 12 minutes before a decisive match at Cornellá. The club says all trips are approved by management, including Tuesday's trip to Paris for an event of Mbappé's Foundation. Vinicius was booed at the Bernabéu early in the season, El Mundo reports, before the focus moved to Mbappé.
Riolo's view on Mbappé's future
On Thursday 8 October, RMC Sport journalist Daniel Riolo told El Larguero that he had a feeling Mbappé might leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. Riolo said the 27-year-old is worried about what he has found at the club, because the team is the same as last year with only a change of coach. He said it is possible Mbappé leaves in the summer of 2027 if he does not have the team he wants. Riolo also said the player's behaviour is not normal and that he does not understand leaving the French squad to go to a nightclub and ride a bicycle after an injury.
It is not information, it is a feeling.
Riolo added that Mbappé may have been unhappy with how Real Madrid handled his Ballon d'Or campaign this year, compared with past seasons when the club supported its candidates more.
What comes next
Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday 10 October. Mourinho has said that a player who does not behave like a Real Madrid player at all times will not sit on the bench.
I promise the Bernabéu that when a Madrid player does not behave like a Madrid player 24 hours a day, they will not see that player on the bench.
Asked whose dynamics were behind the pressure, Mourinho said he preferred not to speak about it. He said he respected the Bernabéu and hoped the crowd would be fair.
