Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has responded sharply to Kylian Mbappe after the French forward publicly expressed frustration over his place in the club’s attacking hierarchy following the 2-0 La Liga win against Oviedo.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing Reuters, Mbappe claimed after the match that he was ready to start but felt the coaching staff currently viewed him behind Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono in the attacking pecking order.
Arbeloa rejected the suggestion during his post-match press conference and insisted that team selection decisions remain entirely under his control.
“I never said he was my fourth-choice forward. Maybe he misunderstood. How could I even say something like that? I do not even have four forwards,” Arbeloa said.
“As long as I sit in this chair, I decide who plays and who does not. I do not care what their names are. A player who was not even in the squad four days ago cannot automatically walk into the starting line-up. That is common sense.
“Mbappe thinks he should have started? I do not care. I am the coach and I make the decisions. If the players are happy with them, great. If not, they can wait for the next coach.”
The situation unfolded amid reports of sections of the Real Madrid crowd whistling at Mbappe during the match against Oviedo. The France international later added that he had not even watched Arbeloa’s press conference.
“I do not watch Arbeloa’s press conferences. At home I have French television, not Spanish television,” Mbappe said.
Spanish media have already described the dispute as one of the biggest controversies of the closing stages of the season. Despite the victory over Oviedo, tensions inside the Real Madrid dressing room appear far from resolved, with Arbeloa making it clear that no player is untouchable while Mbappe openly questions his current role within the squad.
