Fair or unfair, the feeling around the France forward is that Madrid were winning everything before he arrived, and now they are winning nothing, while the club he left behind are winning everything
It is not quite dark days at Real Madrid but it is certainly cloudy, the storm brewing after the fight between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni was followed by a limp performance in the clásico against Barcelona, their rivals’ victory confirming their second season without silverware.
The fight between Madrid’s two midfielders seemed like a perfect summary of the club’s season, and a fantastic exposure of all the things the fans say are happening, but the players and staff say aren’t happening, even though from the evidence now it would seem at least a fair amount of them are happening.
But a lot of the spotlight is on Kylian Mbappe, and questions are now growing within and outside the club over whether his arrival has disrupted the balance of the team.
The France forward’s free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain was expected to usher in a new era of dominance at the Bernabeu, but while Mbappe has continued to produce strong individual numbers, scoring 31 league goals last season and 24 this campaign, there are concerns over his impact on the team structure.
Club sources say the feeling is that the addition of the player has created tactical problems, particularly alongside Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, other high-profile players struggling to find their place at the club.
Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa have all struggled to find a good tactical setup capable of accommodating Madrid’s attacking stars. Vinicius had established himself as Madrid’s leading attacking figure before Mbappe’s arrival but his performances have dropped since those highs. Jude Bellingham has labelled himself “a victim” of his own versatility.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 12, 2026
At the same time, the feeling around Mbappe, fair or unfair, is that Madrid were winning everything before he arrived, and now they have gone two seasons winning nothing, while the club he left behind are now winning everything.
Injuries have further complicated Mbappe’s season, ruling him out of important fixtures against Manchester City, Benfica and notably the clásico on Sunday. The player has also at some point this season been accused by some fans of not applying himself and missing Madrid games so he can be fit to play for France at the World Cup, an accusation he has denied.
The most recent controversy around him was the holiday trip he recently took with his girlfriend Ester Esposito while injured, and he was heavily criticised on social media for going away at a difficult time for the club, a petition that called for his departure reaching three million signatures.
His representatives rejected the criticism, saying it was “an overinterpretation” and that he had been granted the short time away while recovering under the supervision of the club’s medical team.
It needs to be said that Mbappe is certainly going nowhere, but he and Madrid now face an uphill task to show that this project can work.
