Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid career has, until now, not panned out the way many expected.
While the 27-year-old has scored 85 goals in 100 appearances since moving to the Bernabeu, the Spaniards are set for a second successive season without lifting the La Liga title or Champions League.
For a club with 36 league titles and 15 European Cups, that is simply not good enough.
With fan frustration brewing and rumours of dressing room unrest, BBC Sport takes a look at how Mbappe’s difficult second season in the Spanish capital has unravelled.
The Sardinia holiday controversy
Mbappe is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained in late April against Real Betis, making him a doubt for Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona.
Los Blancos must win that game to prevent Barca from winning the league.
Ordinarily, that would be the main concern. Instead, much of the recent focus has been on what’s happened away from the training ground.
The France forward was given time off last week and decided to travel to Sardinia during his recovery period. It was a trip that, while approved by the club, did not sit well with supporters given the timing.
Photographs of him on a yacht emerged around the same time Real were playing Espanyol.
“In his free time, Mbappe can do whatever he wants, like any other player,” head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said.
However, the discontent has led to organised fan action.
An online petition calling for ‘Mbappe out’ has spread rapidly across social media, encouraging fans to demand change and to act regarding the player’s future at the club.
It aimed to collect 200,000 signatures. More than 12 million people have signed it in less than 24 hours.
While there is no way to know how many of those who have clicked on the online petition are actually Real Madrid fans, the backlash has arrived at a sensitive time.
Real are on the verge of ending the season without silverware, trailing Barcelona in La Liga by 11 points and ousted from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
In that context, scrutiny on star players has intensified, and Mbappe, despite being Real’s top goalscorer this season, is now the subject of major criticism.
As well as questions around his commitment, there are also claims of dressing-room tension and frustration bubbling beneath the surface.
Mbappe’s representatives released a statement to the media this week saying any criticism “does not reflect the reality of Kylian’s commitment and daily work for the team”.
So what happens next?
In the short term, attention is on whether Mbappe will be fit to feature at the Spotify Camp Nou.
“We’ll see how Mbappe is this week,” Arbeloa said in his post-match news conference on Sunday.
“After last week’s tests, it looked as though it might take a bit longer.”
By BBC News
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