Mbappé takes on Real Madrid: from Paris club to cycling in Switzerland | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé is still recovering from his knee injury, but with each passing day he seems a little further from keeping a low media profile. First it was Paris. There, he showed up in the early hours at a nightclub alongside Ester Expósito while Real Madrid was telling friendly media outlets that his trip had been agreed upon with the coaching staff and medical team. Now the Frenchman is in Switzerland. And this time nobody caught him: he himself posted a video riding a bicycle. Without specifying the location. His companions were less discreet.

This chain of events turns what might seem like an innocent outing into the first serious test of wills that José Mourinho has faced since returning to Real Madrid. Because just ten days before Mbappé decided to get on a bike, his coach had spoken precisely about what a footballer can and cannot do off the pitch.

"Unfortunately, a footballer cannot go skiing in the mountains, cannot ride a bicycle," Mourinho said. The explanation was even more explicit: "You fall off a bicycle and maybe you miss three matches. Or maybe something worse, maybe you break a leg, maybe you just get a bruise, but that bruise can stop you from being at your best level."

When asked whether he meant a contractual restriction, he left little room for interpretation: "I don’t care about the contract, I care about the way you view your job."

From the 'authorized' nightclub to the bicycle in Switzerland

The trip to Paris had already forced Real Madrid to put out the fire. After Mbappé was photographed in a nightclub in the early hours, the club told various media outlets that the trip had been "agreed" and "coordinated" with Mourinho, his coaching staff and the doctors during the "active rest" period.

That explanation protected the player: Mbappé had not gone off to Paris behind Madrid’s back. But now another question arises. The forward has appeared in Switzerland while still recovering and there is no public record that this new trip is part of the same authorized plan. Nor did anyone take the opportunity to explain the Frenchman’s travel plans in those "authorized" leaks to the friendly press. However, the Swiss issue almost pales in comparison to the bicycle.

Because Mourinho had already delivered another verdict after Raúl Asencio’s conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol: "A Real Madrid player is one 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 12 months a year." And another gem from those same remarks: "Everyone makes mistakes, but accumulated mistakes are a different matter." Then came Mbappé’s night out in Paris and now images that clash directly with the example chosen by the coach himself. Interviews can come back to haunt you.

Mourinho already has his first major problem

What will The Special One do now? If he believes Mbappé has committed no wrongdoing, he will have to explain how his behavior fits with the obligations that he himself has just publicly laid down. And if he believes no red flag has been crossed, that alternative is hardly simple either.

Any action against Mbappé could provoke Florentino Pérez’s anger. The president protects the biggest star of his project, and opening a conflict between the Frenchman and Mourinho would bring into the dressing room a problem that until now had largely been confined to outside noise.

There is also the Madrid fanbase. Mbappé scores goals, and in football that buys almost anything, but the images are piling up precisely while he is injured and while his coach preaches sacrifice that includes nightclubs, skiing and, specifically, bicycles. Mourinho has built much of his career by imposing one very simple rule: nobody is above the team. Mbappé has just put in front of him the fine print he wrote himself.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.