With tensions evidently rife between the Real Madrid head coach and star player, in this piece we take a detailed look at how we have got to this point
On Thursday evening, Real Madrid beat Real Oviedo 2-0 at the Bernabeu on match day 36 of the La Liga season. A quiet night at the library, right?
No. Absolutely not.
Indeed not, as Alvaro Arbeloa and Kylian Mbappe seemed to have a public disagreement when speaking to the media after the game. The Frenchman said he was told by Arbeloa that he is the "fourth choice attacker", which is the coach soon denied to the media.
There had been a lot of speculation that the coaching staff were "surprised" that Mbappe had decided to pull out of Saturday's training session with an injury, just one day before El Clasico on Sunday evening. There was a report implying that Mbappe had decided to pull out of the game after being told he was not in the starting XI.
Well, according to Spanish outlet Diario AS, that is the case. They have reported on how the relationship between the coach and player has become strained. Here are the details.
Firstly, the above. They say that he wanted to start in El Clasico, and left training after being found out he was on the bench. He was then left out of the match day squad entirely.
Secondly, they mention the infamous trip to Italy. After the win over Espanyol, Arbeloa was asked about this, and said: "We didn't create Real Madrid with players who take to the field in tuxedos."
Finally, they mention that Arbeloa using a single substitution window against Oviedo was deliberate. When the Frenchman was introduced, there were heavy boos from the entire Bernabeu. Then, the public comments only increased tensions.
The last point is interesting. Arbeloa made five subs last night, in the allocated three windows. In the other two windows, he made a double change, meaning Mbappe was the only player to come on alone. This marries up with the idea that it was a conscious decision from the manager.
Well, well, well. Once again, Real Madrid proves to be a huge soap opera. Only two more games until this season is over. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Jose Mourinho, and his relationship with key players like Mbappe and Vinicius.
Especially after what happened against Benfica in February. Never, ever a dull moment with this club. Even in the off season, we can expect plenty of drama. Stay tuned here at Roundtable for more updates.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!