FRANCE-SPAIN: “HE IS A PLAYER WHO MUST DO MORE, MUCH MORE”, HOW MADRID JUDGES MBAPPÉ’S EURO

Despite his lackluster performances at Euro 2024, supporters of Real Madrid, his new club, are rather indulgent towards the captain of the French team, Kylian Mbappé. But everyone hopes that his awakening will not come on Tuesday night against La Roja, in the semi-final of the European Championship.

It’s not just the French team’s supporters who are concerned about Kylian Mbappé’s form. In Madrid, too, they are closely following each of the outings of the masked captain of the French team at Euro 2024. And for good reason, the French striker is Real’s star recruit this summer. Before his presentation scheduled for July 16 after the European Championship, the Frenchman has not exactly reassured. Out of shape and diminished by a broken nose, he has only scored one goal, from a penalty, and has not made much of a difference. Against Portugal on Friday, in the quarter-finals, he even asked to come off during extra time.

In Madrid, while the former PSG player’s performances have not gone unnoticed, they are not judged with great severity: “I’m not really worried. For me, it’s also down to his physical form,” says Miguel. “Clearly he’s not at the level he’s supposed to be at this Euro,” continues Santiago. “I hope he keeps it for Real Madrid. I especially hope he doesn’t find it again against Spain.” Because despite his poor form, the main fear of Madrid fans is that their future striker will wake up against La Roja on Tuesday night in the Euro semi-final: “I hope he doesn’t score against Spain,” says Abraham. “But he’s a player who has to do more, much more. Because he’s already shown before that he’s one of the best, if not the best player in the world.”

“They are always looking forward to it”

For Fernando Sánchez Tavero, a journalist for the Spanish newspaper AS, Kylian Mbappé ‘s so far disappointing Euro is not likely to worry Real Madrid fans: “There is always buzz around Mbappé, especially since he is officially a Real player. But I don’t think his performances in this Euro will change the minds of Real Madrid fans. They are still waiting impatiently for him and they will see it in his official presentation, which will surpass the records of Cristiano Ronaldo. I think the fans understand very well the context in which Kylian plays, physically diminished.” And the journalist added: “There is no concern about the level he can reach, really.”

Like the fans, the press is also relatively lenient towards the Frenchman: “He receives criticism but it is not fierce, and that is already a lot” observes Sánchez Tavero before launching France-Spain: “It is rather the low level of France that receives a lot of comments, even if it progressed in the semi-final, rather than Mbappé.”