No hard feelings. Returning Thursday night to the field after three weeks off, Kylian Mbappé directly criticized his coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s decision to leave him on the bench against Oviedo when he was supposed to play. His comments in the mixed zone went viral and put the coach in an embarrassing position.
So, this Saturday at the press conference before the Liga match on Sunday against Sevilla FC (7 pm), the Madrid coach was immediately questioned about his relationship with the captain of the French team. Has he spoken to him since Thursday night? “I just saw him,” he replied. “I understand that this kind of thing makes headlines, but what he talked about in the mixed zone, we had already discussed.”
Alvaro Arbeloa then explained: “I know how players feel when they don’t play and I like it. For me, it’s much more normal than it seems. It would have been better for him to play part of the end of the match. If there wasn’t a match this weekend, it might have been different. There’s nothing more to it. What has happened in the last few days is completely normal. My relationship with Mbappé remains the same.”
“No problem” with private conversations being revealed
Thursday night, Kylian Mbappé made waves by appearing before the press and saying: “I feel good, 100%. I didn’t start because the coach told me that for him, I was the fourth striker in the squad, after Gonzalo, Vinicius, and Mastantuono.” Alvaro Arbeloa then explained that his striker had “misunderstood” him and that he did not want to “take a risk” for a Liga match without significance.
And, this Saturday, the former Real Madrid defender showed no signs of frustration after seeing his private conversations being openly discussed in front of journalists worldwide. “When I speak with players, I’m not afraid they’ll disclose our conversations,” he assured. “During our private exchanges, I prefer them to remain confidential, but it doesn’t bother me if the subject is addressed. I spoke with him before the match and, as I said, there was no problem.”
This helps calm the situation in a locker room that has been difficult to control in recent weeks. Even though Alvaro Arbeloa denies it. “I don’t understand and I don’t agree with saying that the locker room is ungovernable,” he declared. Before being asked to comment on his designated successor, José Mourinho. “The club will make a decision for next season’s coach when the time is right. For me, as a player and madridista, Mourinho is number 1,” he replied. “I thought that a month ago and I will continue to think so. He is and will always be one of us. If he is here next season, I will be very happy to see him back home.”
Original article published on RMC Sport
