Kylian Mbappe made his return to action for Real Madrid in their 2-0 victory over Real Oviedo on Thursday. The French forward, who had missed the last few matches with a muscle injury, appeared as a second half substitute at the Bernabeu, at which point he was greeted by a chorus of boos and jeers.
After the match, Mbappe took the opportunity to break his silence after intense scrutiny over the last couple of weeks. Speaking in the Bernabeu mixed zone (via Diario AS), he reacted to the whistles that had been directed towards him by the Real Madrid supporters, while also addressing his recent travels to Italy.
“It’s a shame not to play in El Clasico, a match that I love because I always score. It was a shame. But the whistles… it is life. We cannot change the opinion of angry people. It is a way of expressing their opinion and you should not take it personally. I’ve been whistled many times in my career. It’s the life of a Real Madrid player, and especially someone famous like me.
“I don’t know (why they whistled). I had the club’s authorisation not to be in Madrid and I wasn’t the only one in the squad who wasn’t there (at El Clasico). But these are things that must be accepted. We must look ahead and change it.”
Mbappe was asked for his perspective on the decision not to start him against Oviedo, as he claimed that Alvaro Arbeloa has demoted him down the pecking order at Real Madrid.
“Ask the coach. I was ready to start, but it’s his decision. He told me I’m the fourth attacker in the squad. I can’t be angry with him; you have to respect their opinion. I have to work and wait to be a starter.
“I don’t have any problems with (Arbeloa). I’m not going to have a problem with not playing. You have to accept the coach’s idea because everyone has their own ideas and philosophy. I have to work to be better than Vini, Mastantuono and Gonzalo.”
Mbappe also gave his backing to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who’s another to have faced intense criticism over the last few weeks, which led to him making rare media appearances.
“The president is the best president in the world, the best in the history of Real Madrid. It is difficult how he has been treated. You can’t forget what he has done. It’s an honour to have him at the club.”
