Kylian Mbappe was greeted by whistles from his own supporters as he came off the bench in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo at the Bernabeu.
The Frenchman entered the pitch as a 69th-minute substitute on Thursday, returning from a thigh injury that had kept him sidelined. The reception reflected growing frustration among sections of the Madrid faithful, with an online petition calling for ‘Mbappe Out’ having attracted tens of millions of signatures in recent weeks.
The jeers are a remarkable turn of events for a player who remains Madrid’s top scorer this season with 41 goals in 41 appearances across all competitions. The club, however, have endured another year without silverware. Discontent reached a peak after Sunday’s defeat to Barcelona, a result that handed their rivals the league title.
The mood around the club darkened further when photographs emerged of Mbappe on a yacht in Sardinia while Real Madrid were playing against Espanyol. The club confirmed he had been given time off to recover from injury, but the images fuelled public anger regardless.
Earlier this week, club president Florentino Perez held a rare and explosive press conference, going on the attack against those he accused of trying to undermine the club. Stewards at Thursday’s match also removed a banner from fans reading “Florentino go now” — a sign that the discontent extends beyond the playing squad.
Mbappe appeared to take the hostile reception in his stride. “The whistles… that’s life, you can’t change the opinion of the people when they are angry,” he told reporters after the game. “It’s the life of a Real Madrid player and a famous player like me. Footballers don’t always have to understand, they have to accept and look forward and change the situation.”
There were moments of joy on the night. Gonzalo Garcia put Madrid ahead shortly before half-time before Jude Bellingham added a late second against the already relegated visitors. For Mbappe, the challenge now is to turn the boos into cheers before the season is out.
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