Serial scorer in his team, Didier Drogba has spoken out to address the difficult period Kylian Mbappé is going through at Real Madrid. In an interview on the Radio Foot Internationale show (RFI), the Ivorian legend shared some hard truths.
At nearly 26 years old, Kylian Mbappé is far from impressing at his new club. A true star in the world of football after years of dominating French Ligue 1 and shining in major matches with the French national team, the Bondy-born player is struggling to replicate his former successes with Real Madrid. Expected to be the “messiah” who would fill the void in the Madrid attack, KM9 has disappointed many… even if he sometimes escapes with some praise. Despite his 10 goals in 20 matches wearing the Casa Blanca shirt, he continues to face criticism, which seems to be annoying Didier Drogba.
Drogba’s bold comparison
After missing a penalty against Liverpool and being blamed as one of the main culprits in Madrid’s defeat during the fifth matchday of the Champions League, Kylian Mbappé once again delivered a poor performance against Athletic Bilbao this Wednesday. While the criticism once again floods in towards the French forward in Spain, Drogba, who is familiar with France from his playing days there, deplores the sharp criticism coming from his home country. In a recent discussion with RFI, reported by Le Parisien, the African football legend did not hide his disappointment.
Initially, Didier Drogba made a bold comparison between the Bondy native and American golf legend Tiger Woods. “I see this a bit like Tiger Woods, who struggled for a while to find his game, and once he found it again, he became the Tiger Woods that everyone loves. Kylian is going through a difficult period; he wanted to be there, he’s ready for the challenge,” said the former Chelsea striker, who admits he thought that the new Real Madrid number 9 might doubt himself under the weight of the pressure on his shoulders.
“I know the character a little, and yes, as a human being, he will doubt, that’s normal. But he is also someone who has certainties,” warned Didier Drogba, who also described himself as “very optimistic”. Disappointed by the fierce criticism, which also comes from France, the former captain of the Ivory Coast, who now hosts the Ballon d’Or France Football ceremony, revealed that adapting to Real Madrid is no easy feat.
“I’d rather have a difficult adaptation at Madrid”
However, if some believe Mbappé does not have the level to succeed at Florentino Pérez’s club, the 2012 Champions League winner with Chelsea confided that he would prefer to see the French forward struggling at Real Madrid than thriving in a weaker league. “His adaptation isn’t the easiest, but I’d rather have a difficult adaptation at Madrid than find myself in a situation where everything is easier,” added Didier Drogba before concluding.
“I think he will learn a lot from this experience. He will mature, he will be even more mature, and it will benefit him as well as the French national team. This delicate period is part of a player’s career: it’s like injuries, except these aren’t physical, but they can help you become another player, even stronger. So, it’s a transition.” The message is clear. Now, the question remains: when will we see the player who helped deliver France’s second World Cup trophy in 2018 and came close to offering them a third in 2022 in Qatar?
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