Did he open fire on Mourinho? Mbappe's gesture ignites Real Madrid

What's the story?

Kylian Mbappé has stirred up fresh controversy in Madrid after posting pictures of himself on a treadmill and an exercise bike during his recovery from injury. It wasn't the training that caught the eye, though. A cryptic message buried in one of the images did the damage, dragging José Mourinho's comments about the professionalism of Real Madrid's players back into the spotlight.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Mbappé appeared in one of his stories smiling at the camera, with the song "Good News.. Bad Guys" playing in the background alongside the words: "Who's the bad one? The very bad one?" That opened the door to all manner of interpretations in Madrid, especially with the exercise bike on show in one of the pictures.

A player simply cannot ride a bicycle without thinking of the consequences, Mourinho argued, because a fall could cost him several matches, or in the worst case a broken leg. The point wasn't only about contracts, he explained, but about the image a player presents and his commitment to staying fit.

That was where Madrid made the link between Mbappé's picture and the Portuguese coach's remarks. The French star on an exercise bike, even as part of his physical and rehabilitation programme, brought Mourinho's words rushing back in a way that was hard to ignore.

Timing sharpened the whole thing. Mbappé is already going through a spell in which his every move is being scrutinised, having left the France national team camp with a knee injury before continuing his treatment programme outside Madrid with the club's permission.

He made no direct reference to Mourinho or his comments, and there's nothing to confirm the picture was a message aimed at him. Yet the coincidence of the bike and the cryptic lyrics handed the post plenty of room for interpretation in Madrid circles.