French legend Emmanuel Petit, has revealed that Kylian Mbappe is not Real Madrid’s problem.
Speaking during an interview with the press, Petit said that while many football fans believe Mbappe is the reason Real Madrid has struggled this season, the real problem is actually Florentino Perez.
According to him, the fact that Los Blancos has failed to replace ageing Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, who have both controlled its midfield for several years, is the reason the club president is to blame for their failures this season.
Petit said that it is very unfair to blame Mbappe for Madrid’s drop in form when there are no proper midfielders to deliver the kind of goalscoring chances the French forward is known for scoring.
“What has gone wrong for Real Madrid? The biggest problem at Real Madrid isn’t Kylian Mbappe, it’s Florentino Perez.
Toni Kroos retired and Luka Modric turned 39, those guys controlled the midfield for years and made them unbeatable. They were amazing players and it’s like Real Madrid didn’t realise it or plan for the future without them.
Kylian Mbappe is being booed after they lost in the Champions League and I’ve been one of the only people to defend him. He is being killed. You can’t have the best strikers in the world and not provide him a midfield to create chances, there is no control of the game, no rhythm,” he said.
Emmanuel believes Perez’s obsession with bringing Kylian to the Santiago Bernabeu completely blinded him to his club’s lingering midfield issues, and that has led to Real Madrid’s current poor showing in La Liga and UCL after their applaudable success last campaign.
Petit added that the Spanish giant is presently filled with several players who are known to have huge egos, so while it remains the biggest club in the world, the club is only a coming together of individuals to play as individuals, not as a team.
“Perez was obsessed with Kylian Mbappe for three seasons and all of a sudden his dream came true, but he didn’t see what was happening in midfield, with Kroos and Modric. Vinicius Junior isn’t the same player as last season, Jude Bellingham isn’t the same player, Rodrygo is the same, and the midfield isn’t there behind them.
You also see Bellingham and Antonio Rudiger falling out in training, the atmosphere isn’t good, and the dressing room isn’t good. This team looks to have too many egos and too many players who want to win the Ballon d’Or. Madrid has been the biggest club in the world because of the individual, but most importantly, because of the team. That’s not there right now,” he added.
