Kylian Mbappe Slammed As ‘Egotistical Big Head’ After Red Card Challenge
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe is catching heat from ESPN FC pundit Craig Burley after receiving a straight red card for a reckless challenge in the first half of their match against Alaves on Sunday.
Mbappe’s reckless challenge on Alaves' Antonio Blanco saw his studs catch the midfielder’s shin. The 26-year-old was initially shown a yellow card, but after a VAR review, it was upgraded to a straight red.
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Even though this was Mbappe’s first red card in six years—going back to April 2019—it didn’t stop Burley from going off on the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner (via talkSPORT).
The fact that (Blanco) isn’t in the back of an ambulance going to the hospital with a snapped leg is sheer luck.Craig Burley
Moreover, the former Chelsea midfielder stated that this foul speaks about the player’s character.
That is an egotistical big head who thinks he can do what he wants.Craig Burley
Mbappe’s dismissal on Sunday means he will miss Real Madrid’s next La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao. Nonetheless, the forward will be able to play midweek against Arsenal in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie.
It will be interesting to see if this red card experience has a lingering effect on the player because Real Madrid need their star player to overcome the 3-0 aggregate deficit.
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Eduardo is an experienced freelance football writer covering Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and PSG On SI. He also covers PSG for PSG Talk and French football for Ligue 1's official English website. He's contributed to NBC Sports' regional sports networks, including NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, providing in-depth sports content for those markets.