Drama has erupted within "Los Blancos" Real Madrid following last night's match.
Madrid's camp is heating up! Mbappé is unhappy being benched and seen as the fourth-choice striker, while Arbeloa denies ever saying that.
Although "Los Blancos" Real Madrid secured a 2-0 home victory over Real Oviedo in La Liga last night, the post-match story was dominated by Kylian Mbappé's comments to the media at the Bernabéu.
Mbappé, who was previously reported injured and named only as a substitute for this match, claimed that Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa did not start him despite him being fully fit. He also said Arbeloa told him he was only the fourth-choice striker behind Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García, and Franco Mastantuono. However, Arbeloa firmly denied making such a statement.
“I've never said anything like that to Mbappé. He must have misunderstood. I don’t know how to explain it. I’m the one who makes the decisions because I’m the coach.”
“I spoke with him earlier, and I’m unsure how he interpreted things. Today, he wasn’t in the starting lineup because it wasn’t critical. We have a game on Sunday, and surely he will start against Sevilla, as well as in the following matches.”
“I understand that players who don’t start feel unhappy. I understand his frustration, but it was a decision based on the situation. I didn’t want to take any risks. It was the most reasonable choice,” Arbeloa said.