Former World Cup winner blames Ancelotti for Real Madrid forward’s struggles | OneFootball

Former France forward and World Cup winner Christophe Dugarry has expressed strong disapproval of Real Madrid’s decision to sign Kylian Mbappe, saying the timing couldn’t have been worse.

Dugarry believes that bringing the French international into the team at this point may not have been necessary.

He suggests that Real Madrid might have misjudged the balance between Mbappe’s qualities and his areas for improvement, expecting his talent alone to be enough to make a difference.

Mbappe was not necessary

According to Dugarry, Mbappe has entered a team setup that doesn’t align with his strengths. Real Madrid, he argues, is poorly balanced and isn’t built to support a player like Mbappe effectively.

“Real Madrid may have chosen him at the worst moment. Perhaps it was not necessary to hire him. They still brought him in thinking that his talent would be enough,” he began saying as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

In Dugarry’s view, the team’s structure doesn’t allow for getting the ball close enough to the goal, limiting Mbappe’s ability to play to his full potential.

Kylian Mbappe has struggled to make an impact at Real Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Instead of focusing on what Mbappe does best, Dugarry feels the team has him adapting to a role that doesn’t suit him.

“Real were wrong about his flaws and qualities. He must learn a new position. He will have to. Redouble his efforts and desire. We can reproach him for several things, but he lacks players who stand out.”

Ancelotti’s responsibilities

He believes that it’s manager Carlo Ancelotti’s responsibility to make changes that play to Mbappe’s strengths, either by placing him in his best position or reconsidering his role on the field.

“This team is very poorly balanced. It is not made to serve your centre forward. You have to get the ball as close to the box as possible. They don’t use him in his best position.”

Ancelotti’s current approach, Dugarry implies, could delay Mbappe’s ability to find his footing with the team.

“For me the person responsible is Ancelotti. He must put Mbappe in his best position or take him off. Ancelotti must take his responsibility. It will take time for Mbappe to adapt to this position,” he added.