Jose Mourinho has defended Kylian Mbappé over how he spent the international break, calling the criticism of the forward "ridiculous". The Real Madrid manager spoke on Friday as his squad prepared to return to La Liga, where they are six points behind leaders Barcelona after seven games.
A bicycle, a fashion show and an injury
The story started with a knock. Mbappé, the France captain, withdrew from international duty after picking up an injury against Turkey on 25 September. He then shared pictures on social media from a Paris Fashion Week event, and another of himself riding a bicycle, something Mourinho had previously said went against his rules. Cue the usual noise around Real Madrid players.
Mourinho did not sound angry. He said "when it comes to Real Madrid, it's always different", that all the players did what they were supposed to during the break, and that people always go looking for problems. On the bike, he explained that the image was taken in Switzerland and had been misrepresented: bicycles were available for guests at his hotel complex to use for short trips around it.
The warning inside the defence
The defence came with a condition attached. Mourinho said that if a Real Madrid player does not behave as one should and, in his phrase, "stops being a Real Madrid player for 24 hours", that player will not be on the bench because he will be at home. It was a message to the squad as much as to the critics. Asked whether the coverage of Mbappé had been exaggerated, he said no, he thought it was ridiculous, and that if Mbappé plays it is because he has not failed Real Madrid or his obligations to the club.
Mbappé is back in training this week. At 27, he is one of the favourites for this year's Ballon d'Or, and last season he scored 42 goals in 44 games for Real, although the club won no trophies. At the World Cup he took the Golden Boot with 10 goals, pushing his career total at the tournament to a record 22, though France finished fourth.
Why the scrutiny sticks
Real Madrid are not out of the title race, but six points behind Barcelona after seven games leaves little room for distractions, and a forward with Mbappé's profile will always be watched for them. That is the part Mourinho cannot control. What he can control is the team sheet, and his comments suggest he does not intend to punish a player for a cycling photo when the club's own rules, as he reads them, were not broken.
The real answer will come on the pitch. If Mbappé is fit and sharp, the bicycle will be forgotten in a week. If not, it will be the first thing anyone mentions.
Context: Real Madrid are six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after seven games. Mbappé, 27, scored 42 goals in 44 games last season and 10 at the World Cup. Source: BBC Sport.
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