Jose Mourinho Lashes Out at Kylian Mbappe Treatment in Trademark Rant

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho lashed out at what he described as a media campaign to scrutinize Kylian Mbappé over the Frenchman’s conduct during the international break.

Mbappé was criticized for his behavior after suffering a knee injury during France duty. He was photographed outside a nightclub in Paris and also posted a video of himself cycling in Switzerland just days after Mourinho insisted players should not ride bikes because of the injury risk.

It has led to shock, speculative claims that something is brewing beneath the surface at Madrid, with some suggesting Mourinho and Mbappé were not seeing eye-to-eye and even raising the idea of a potential departure from the Bernabéu for the French forward.

Clearly, Mourinho is not interested in the noise.

“It’s ridiculous,” Mourinho said of the criticism of Mbappé. “I thought there were enough real ‘cases’ in the football world in the last few weeks, but it seems like they weren’t enough.

“There are giant cases like the [Manchester City] one, like the old story you don’t like to talk about [the Negreira case], like the difficult situation in my country with Cristiano Ronaldo and his coach. But it hasn’t been enough. Real Madrid is Real Madrid. I thought the first question might be about real things, a difficult game, but here we are.”

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Mourinho Explains Mbappé’s International Break Behavior

Álvaro Carreras, Kylian Mbappé — Mbappé (center) has been training with the team. | Burak Akbulut/Anadolu/Getty Images

Mourinho refused to let the issue rest and, instead, offered an explanation for everything that had been ruthlessly picked apart by those he accused of intentionally trying to stir the pot.

“I don’t lie,” he said. “The truth is that in this period, Real Madrid’s players have been exemplary in their professional situation. Those who were injured came straight to Valdebebas, got their diagnosis and got their rehab plan.

“Mbappé was here, he got his diagnosis, he went to an external consultant—his knee has a history that you can’t forget—and there was total agreement with Real Madrid’s diagnosis and this external consultant. In terms of his recovery, you don’t have to know all the details. But then we get into the area of looking for problems.

“[In Paris] it was a club that wasn’t a club. It was a club that had been transformed for a private event. Then in Switzerland, it was just a hotel, with little houses, and each house had some bikes to get to where the restaurants and spa was. It was absolute tranquility.

“You don’t have to be Einstein to see that [getting fans to boo Mbappé] is the objective. I hope the Bernabéu can be fair, and that means being intelligent, being able to read between the lines.

“One thing I promise is that when a Real Madrid player doesn’t behave like a Real Madrid player, they won’t see that player on the bench. They won’t have the chance to whistle, because they’ll be at home.”

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Mbappé to Start Against Villarreal

Kylian Mbappé — Mbappé suffered a knee injury on international duty. | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

At the end of everything came an actual update on Mbappé’s injury.

Mourinho refused to reveal the specifics of the Frenchman’s recovery plan, but did confirm fans can expect to see Mbappé in the starting lineup when Villarreal visit the Bernabéu on Saturday.

“So tomorrow, Mbappé will play,” Mourinho concluded. “He won’t be on the bench, and if he plays, it’s because I’m sure that he hasn’t failed Real Madrid. He hasn’t failed to fulfil his obligations.”

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