Starting for the first time in the big Clasico between Real Madrid and Barça, Kylian Mbappé had a challenging time on the pitch. After the match, the Madrid press went after the 25-year-old French player. Tomás Roncero, editor-in-chief of Diario AS, didn’t mince his words.
An evening to forget for the Madridistas, and especially for Kylian Mbappé. Having arrived in Spain this summer to give a new direction to his career after seven seasons at PSG, the French forward has not yet convinced everyone. Aside from a few matches where he has shone by scoring crucial goals, the 25-year-old was highly anticipated this Saturday. For his first Clasico as a Madrid player, KM9 was placed at the forefront of the attack alongside Vinicius Junior, the potential 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.
Real Madrid got off to a good start and created several goal-scoring chances. Unfortunately, Kylian Mbappé fell repeatedly into Barça’s offside trap. For the first time this season in the five major European leagues, the captain of the French team was caught offside eight times in a single match, setting a new record. After the match, lost by Carlo Ancelotti’s team (4-0), Madrid fans went after the former Monaco player.
“He’s missing goals my son could score”
While the coach refused to criticise his players publicly, several media figures didn’t hold back on Ferland Mendy, Lucas Vázquez, and Kylian Mbappé for their disastrous performances. Among those recognised in Spain for their criticism of Real Madrid’s number 9 is AS editor-in-chief Tomás Roncero. Furious at the final whistle of the debacle, the journalist, who regularly appears on the popular show El Chiringuito TV, was harshly critical of Mbappé.
“I’m very disappointed in Mbappé. The supposed best player in the world has to make a difference in a match like this. This is Madrid; it’s not Paris with its Eiffel Tower. Ancelotti has his share of responsibility, but there’s not much he can do if his main star misses goals my son could score,” Roncero stated.
While his remarks were rather severe, they are shared by many Madrid fans who are struggling to digest the humiliation against Barça. In any case, after the Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will be held next Monday at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Ancelotti’s players will need to sit down, have a serious discussion, and come back stronger, as another loss in the league would almost hand the La Liga title to the Catalans.
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