The coach told me that I was the fourth attacker: Kylian Mbappé clashes with Real Madrid coach, Alvaro Arbeloa

Kylian Mbappé, left on the bench at the start of Real-Oviedo on Thursday night and booed by the Madrid public after coming on, criticized his coach after the match.

Booed on Thursday after his return to the field following a three-week absence due to a hamstring injury, French attacker Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid directly criticized his coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s decision to leave him on the bench against Oviedo even though he was ready to play.

“I feel good, at 100%. I didn’t play as a starter because the coach told me that for him, I was the fourth striker in the squad, after Gonzalo, Vinicius, and Mastantuono,” Mbappé said in the mixed zone after being booed by his fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium after coming on in the 69th minute. “Ask him, I was prepared to start, but it’s his decision. I accept it, I guess I have to work harder to be better than Vini, Mastantuono, and Gonzalo.”

His coach Alvaro Arbeloa, interviewed just after in a press conference, explained that Mbappé had “misunderstood” him, and that he did not want to “take a risk” for a meaningless La Liga match against Oviedo, a relegated team, especially since Real had nothing to play for since their defeat against FC Barcelona, who are the champions.

“If, four days ago, he was not even fit enough to be on the bench, with another match to play three days later, I believe that he was not ready to start tonight,” detailed the Madrid coach.

Kylian Mbappé: “The only thing I regret is not being able to help the team win titles”

Mbappé, disliked by some Real Madrid supporters who criticize him for being too individualistic, accepted the boos at the Bernabeu, saying that it was part of his life as a Real Madrid player and “famous” like him.

However, he defended himself regarding his trip to Sardinia in early May while he was injured, when his teammates had a match against Espanyol Barcelona in La Liga: “I had the club’s permission not to be in Madrid, I was not the only one to be abroad,” he stated.

“If I made a mistake? No, the only thing I regret is not being able to help the team win titles, that’s all that matters to me,” continued Mbappé, who is experiencing a frustrating second season at Real, shining individually with 41 goals in 42 matches, but without any major title to show for.

In response to criticism about his commitment, the French attacker replied, “What hurts me the most is that people think I don’t want to play. In the first part of the season, people were saying I played too much, in every match. Then, when I got injured, they said I didn’t want to play anymore.”