Training Ground ‘Bust Up’ Further Isolates Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid

The Frenchman is under fire for his behavior both on and off the pitch in recent weeks.

Kylian Mbappé first two seasons at Real Madrid have led to turmoil. | Maria Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappé reportedly had a heated confrontation with a member of Real Madrid’s coaching staff ahead of the trip to Real Betis, fueling tensions in the club’s dressing room that his Italian vacation only intensified.

It’s no secret the dressing room at the Bernabéu has been fractured all season long and Mbappé’s recent actions both at Valdebebas and in his spare time have done little to heal the cracks plaguing Álvaro Arbeloa’s squad.

The Athletic report the Frenchman instigated an argument with a member of staff, who called him offside during a match in training. Mbappé “spoke angrily and in insulting terms,” but seemingly received no punishment.

The incident “contributed to the worsening of the mood” at the biggest club in the world that only darkened when the forward opted for a quick holiday one week ahead of El Clásico instead of recovering from his hamstring injury in Madrid.

According to L’Equipe, there is a growing “irritation” at Mbappé’s “lack of discretion” at Real Madrid. Combined with his “overly individualistic nature,” there is now an apparent isolation between him and a majority of the players within the dressing room.

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Mbappé’s Camp Issues Swift Response to Growing Unrest

Kylian Mbappé’s reputation at Real Madrid is taking a major hit. | M Gracia Jimenez/Soccrates/Getty Images

As the noise surrounding Mbappé reaches a deafening decibel, his camp released a statement to AFP on the widespread criticism aimed at the France international.

“Part of the criticisms are based on an overinterpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club,” the statement said.

“This is NOT corresponding to the reality of the commitment and the work that Kylian does daily for the good of the team.”

Despite the strike down, the perception of Mbappé at Real Madrid does not look set to change anytime soon. Since the 27-year-old joined the team ahead of the 2024–25 season, Los Blancos have failed to win a major trophy in back-to-back seasons.

They also went on their best run while Mbappé was out injured in March, stringing together five consecutive victories, including two over Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16. When he returned to the XI, Real Madrid failed to win five of their next six matches.

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Real Madrid Squad Chooses Between Mbappé and Vinicius Junior

For the last two years, there has been a growing sentiment that Real Madrid cannot succeed with both Mbappé and Vinicius Junior. Much of the discourse has centered around their lack of chemistry on the pitch, but now it bleeds into the dressing room.

MARCA report the group is “fully committed” to Vinicius Jr, while the last few months have “fractured the bond” with Mbappé. Arbeloa seemingly feels the same after his pointed comments about how his star’s actions don’t align with the players who built Real Madrid.

Vinicius Jr is one of those players, having already led the team to two Champions League titles at age 25. Following the team’s 2–0 win over Espanyol at the weekend—a match played while Mbappé was in Italy—the Brazilian took to social media and wrote, “With this club to the death. We must keep going! We will return to the top.”

Mbappé’s increasing isolation and the internal power struggle between himself and Vinicius Jr would be reasons enough to stain a dressing room, but Antonio Rüdiger also contributed to the rotting core at the Bernabéu.

The Athletic revealed the German center back was involved in a “heated argument” with another first-team player back in April. Although he apologized after for his actions, the incident is yet another example of the growing turmoil behind the scenes at the Bernabéu.

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