Real Madrid’s ego has backfired, but not so much Kylian Mbappé

Of course it depends on Kylian.

Real Madrid are out of form and the Frenchman is part of it. As such, the shine falls on him. He is history, a watered down, watered down version of the football phenomenon he was when he arrived in Spain. A dizzy surfer unable to ride the waves he once could.

It’s true: Kylian Mbappé is below average, not in full swing. And in a sporting landscape where individuals are celebrated and picked apart as much as teams, he is bearing the brunt for mighty Madrid. It should also not be forgotten that Mbappé scores a goal every two games for Real – which is considered admirable for a striker, at least in the era before Messi/Ronaldo/Haaland/Kane/Gyökeres.

To say that he is the guy who will derail Los Blancos is completely wrong. Admittedly, if the 25-year-old galactic Ultimately, it flatters him to deceive in his Madrid career, it will be a case of what might have been – a hyped signing who failed to deliver on his raw salary: 15 million euros ($16 million) after taxes, it is said ESPN, before he was handed a multi-million euro signing bonus spread over his five-year contract – 150 million euros ($158 million), according to many reports.

However, finances don’t matter. Despite spending a lot of money on players when they move, Real are quite financially sound and now have huge revenue generated by a greedy spaceship of a stadium. Instead of Mbappé holding up his end of the bargain, this is about the club’s showmanship – an insistence on having the brightest players in the world and, on that occasion, losing sight of what matters.

The real problem

Mbappé had apparently been on his way to the Spanish capital for some time. And yet Real never lacked without him.

There is a vanity behind integrating people of his pedigree, particularly at Real Madrid, and that is finally coming back to bite the Champions League and La Liga champions. Mbappé seems inhibited in the spotlight of his childhood dream club. More specifically, there is a structural problem with the lineup; How do you accommodate the number nine, who is not a number nine and looks better in superstar Vinícius Júnior’s position on the wing?

While coach Carlo Ancelotti often relied on moments of individual magic last season from heroes Jude Bellingham, Vinícius and others, there was overall balance in Madrid. Losing midfielder Toni Kroos has a bigger impact than gaining a figure like Mbappé. Even experienced striker Joselu, seen as a stopgap, was a central presence up front – which Real now misses – as an alternative to Vinícius, Bellingham and Rodrygo up front. Add to that the fact that Real had unstoppable momentum and confidence and everything worked out.

It’s easy to point the finger at Mbappé again here, considering he came into the game and perhaps disrupted the rhythm. His game is about pace, flair and goals – individualistic qualities that make him the center of attention. There’s excitement about him – he wants to be a legend on a legendary team (who wouldn’t?), and he’s been called a selfish genius with an ego on his face, a prima donna in the past. However, if you listen to the man, he seems mature and humble, partly because Mbappe’s parents helped him stay grounded.

This concerns Los Blancos. Before Real makes every effort to solve the Mbappé puzzle, it must repair itself – find the tactical answers and inner steel responsible for winning the Champions League and La Liga trophies earlier this year . With points up for grabs against Barcelona in Spain and 23 teams ahead of under-pressure head coach Carlo Ancelotti Selection In Europe, these are the ingredients for success – still within reach.