Is Mbappe to Blame for the Troubles in Madrid?

Real Madrid, the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup reigning champions have seen a poor start to their new champions league campaign and a slow start to their La Liga title charge. These facts are the complete opposite to what any madristas or oppositional fans could have predicted with the addition of Kylian Mbappé to the already star-studded squad. What was meant to be a new era of Galacticos has run into some hiccups already with locker room trouble rumors and a seeming loss of chemistry up front. But who is to blame when the team did so well the season previous?

If Real Madrid was in the Premier League, then the answer would be the coach because the league is like a revolving door of coaches. But in Spain, the blame falls first on the stars and Madrid’s shiniest new star has a history of causing problems. Mbappé’s time at PSG, before he came to Madrid, was wreathed in controversy from a rumored fallout with his co-star Neymar Jr. to the unholy sums of money and power he gained in his last contract with the French club. He came to Madrid and now has a rumored spat with another Brazilian national in Rodrygo and is still fighting a lawsuit with PSG for the money from his last contract. He seemingly has the same issues just in a white jersey instead of navy.

However, the biggest problem Madrid is facing at the moment is the lack of an identity up front. Mbappé has disrupted the flow of the attacking force for Madrid with his tendency to drift out wide while playing as a striker. This means he is constantly in the way of players like Vinicius Jr. and Rodrigo down the wings while also leaving a gap in the most dangerous portion of the field. This was highlighted in their recent losses against Barcelona and AC Milan. AgainstBarcelona, Mbappé was offside nine times which contributed to the Los Blanco’s struggles to score in that match. Against Milan, there were several moments in the match when he was within five yards of a winger leaving no one near the goal to score. Mbappé may not solely be the one to take the blame, but he is at the center of controversy both on and off the field.