Arbeloa Puts the Ball in Mbappé’s Court: Goals, Not Excuses

Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has challenged French striker Kylian Mbappé to prove his dedication on the field during the season’s last three La Liga games, as the player faces mounting criticism from Spanish media and a large segment of the club’s fans. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Arbeloa addressed questions about Mbappé’s potential participation against Oviedo.

“We’ll see if he finishes today’s training session—he did so on Tuesday. If he’s ready, he’ll certainly get extra minutes to continue demonstrating his commitment to the club and to play in the remaining three matches, even though he has four yellow cards (a fifth would mean suspension),” Arbeloa said.

The Spanish coach added: “As a Madridista before being a coach, I want to see him keep doing what he does best—scoring goals.”

Absence Fuels Fan Fury

Mbappé missed the recent Clásico against Barcelona after failing to fully recover from a hamstring injury. That match saw Barcelona officially crowned La Liga champions, while Real Madrid ended the season without any silverware. His absence sparked widespread debate in Spain over his conduct, with accusations of selfishness surfacing—particularly after he traveled to Sardinia for a weekend getaway just before his team’s match against Espanyol.

Additional criticism followed when Mbappé was seen leaving the training center smiling, shortly after a scuffle between his French teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde.

Arbeloa, however, defended the notion of “commitment” regarding Mbappé, stating that the player always gives 100% effort—otherwise, he wouldn’t be in his current position.

No Rock Bottom for Real Madrid

When asked whether Real Madrid had hit rock bottom, following controversial remarks by club president Florentino Pérez about a campaign targeting the team, Arbeloa responded: “Rock bottom? That leaves me speechless. What about the other clubs then? No team can win the Champions League and La Liga every year.”

He concluded: “The club will conduct the necessary evaluation this summer to strengthen the squad and come back stronger. With the required thought and rigor, Real Madrid will return to winning ways—I’m confident of that.”