Real Madrid's Season Didn't Go as Planned: The Messiah Turned Out to Be the Problem

To fix the situation, Ancelotti must figure out how to play with Mbappe.

Recently, Real Madrid has been surrounded by troubling rumors. Reports suggest the management might fire Carlo Ancelotti if he doesn’t turn things around. Kylian Mbappe reportedly doesn’t want to play as a central striker and longs to return to his preferred position as a left winger. Additionally, there is disappointment within the club regarding Aurelien Tchouameni, who was seemingly scapegoated for the team’s poor results.

Though the club might prefer to blame the coach or the French midfielder, Real Madrid’s central issue — aside from lacking a midfielder skilled with the ball at their feet — actually lies with another French player. This isn’t about race, just nationality. Sharp-minded readers might already guess: it's Kylian Mbappe.

His arrival in the most dominant team of last European season was entirely Florentino Perez’s decision. Don Carlo had just adapted the team’s play without a traditional center-forward when this new star was thrown into the mix. With no clear spot in the starting lineup, integrating Mbappe has predictably been a struggle.

As a result, Real’s other stars, like Vinicius and Jude Bellingham, are also faltering compared to their performances last season. While the Brazilian shows some signs of life, the Englishman has been playing at an average level for nearly a year after a blazing first half last season.

Mbappe isn’t only affecting others; his performance has been subpar, scoring just one goal in the past six matches. It turns out that this "wish" of Perez’s has put everyone in a difficult position — from the players to the coaching staff. And what’s to be done about it? The biggest problem is that no one seems to have an answer. Perhaps Ancelotti, as he did last year following Karim Benzema’s departure, will raise an eyebrow and somehow find a way to solve the seemingly unsolvable. But it seems Perez hasn’t given the Italian coach much time, which may be an even greater mistake than bringing in the “Ninja Turtle.”

Published by Patrick Jane
07.11.2024