Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has described criticism of Kylian Mbappe over his activities during the international break as “ridiculous”.
Mbappe withdrew from France duty after picking up an injury against Turkey on September 25, but later attracted attention after sharing images of himself attending a Paris Fashion Week event and riding a bicycle.
Mourinho had previously indicated that cycling was against his rules, but defended the France captain, insisting that Real Madrid’s players had fulfilled their obligations to the club during the international break.
As reported by BBC Sport on Friday, Mourinho was quoted as saying, “When it comes to Real Madrid, it’s always different,” Mourinho said.
“But all the players did exactly what they were supposed to during the break. And then you always want to look for more problems and issues.”
The Portuguese manager stressed that players who failed to meet the club’s expectations would face consequences.
“What I can promise is when a Real Madrid player doesn’t behave the way a Real Madrid player is supposed to and when he fails at that and he stops being a Real Madrid player for 24 hours, you will not see that player on the bench because he will be at home,” he added.
Mourinho also dismissed suggestions that Mbappe had acted irresponsibly after images emerged of the forward riding a bicycle in Switzerland. He explained that bicycles were available for guests at his hotel complex to use for short journeys.
Asked whether the coverage surrounding Mbappe had been exaggerated, Mourinho replied: “Exaggerated, no — I think it was ridiculous.”
He added that Mbappe’s involvement in Real Madrid’s next match would indicate that the forward had met his responsibilities to the club.
“If Mbappe plays tomorrow, it’s because he hasn’t failed Real Madrid and he hasn’t failed to fulfil his obligations to the club,” Mourinho said.
Real Madrid are six points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona after seven games, increasing the importance of maintaining consistency as the season progresses.
Mbappe, 27, remains one of the favourites for this year’s Ballon d’Or after scoring 42 goals in 44 appearances for Real Madrid last season, although the club ended the campaign without a trophy.
The France captain also won the Golden Boot at the World Cup with 10 goals, taking his career tally at the tournament to a record 22, despite France finishing fourth.
