At a glance
- The Xabi Alonso dismissal is said to have opened the first crack, with Mbappé having trusted the coach and reportedly feeling some teammates contributed to his exit.
- Mbappé’s bond with Real Madrid has reportedly fractured, with journalist Jorge C. Picón claiming that “something has broken” between the player and the club.
- Dressing room frustration over Mbappé’s defensive commitment and a controversial trip to Italy during injury recovery have deepened the tension ahead of El Clásico.
Mbappé and Real Madrid are facing their first real crisis
Kylian Mbappé arrived at Real Madrid as the signing of a generation. Now, less than two years into the project, the relationship between the French forward and the club is showing its first serious fractures. According to journalist Jorge C. Picón, something has broken inside the camp – and the timing, with El Clásico on the horizon, could hardly be worse.
The problems, as reported, go well beyond any single incident.
The Xabi Alonso dismissal opened the first crack for Mbappé
The deterioration reportedly began when Real Madrid decided to remove Xabi Alonso from the dugout. Mbappé had trusted the coach and had made that clear internally. When the decision came, it landed badly in the dressing room – and Mbappé is said to have suspected that certain teammates had played a role in Alonso’s exit.
That suspicion alone is enough to shift the atmosphere inside a squad.
Medical distrust and the Italy trip added more pressure
The second fracture came through injury management. After Real Madrid confirmed on April 27 that Mbappé had suffered a muscle injury in his left thigh, his trip to France to consult a specialist was not well received by everyone at the club. His camp has insisted that his recovery has been handled strictly by Madrid’s medical staff. And that criticism of his dedication has been overblown.
Then came Sardinia. A trip to Italy during his recovery period generated a significant media storm in Spain and France, arriving at a moment when the team was preparing for its most important match of the season. Mbappé’s representatives defended the move, but at Real Madrid, perception carries almost as much weight as reality.
How the Alonso departure shaped Mbappé current frustration
The most damaging part of Picón’s report concerns the squad itself. Some teammates have reportedly been frustrated for months by Mbappé’s defensive work, feeling that his limited contribution without the ball has cost the team. The criticism, according to the report, extends to training as well as matches.
The comparison with Vinicius Jr. is pointed. Sources suggest the dressing room does not view the pair as personally at odds, but that some players feel Vinicius never hides. Whereas Mbappé sometimes does. For a player signed to lead the project, that is a damaging perception to carry.
El Clásico will define the next chapter
Mbappé has been working to return for El Clásico, training alone at Valdebebas on a squad day off in a bid to be available against Barcelona. The match arrives with LaLiga almost beyond Real Madrid’s reach and the Champions League already over.
Real Madrid still believe in Mbappé. His numbers remain elite and his capacity to reshape a season in a single performance is not in question. But the club needs clarity, the dressing room needs commitment, and Mbappé needs trust. Right now, all three look damaged.
El Clásico may not solve any of that – but it will tell everyone inside the club exactly where things stand.
