"As if he had done the Tour de Suisse": Jose Mourinho weighs in forcefully on the debates surrounding Real superstar Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has defended superstar Kylian Mbappe and rejected criticism of his behaviour during the international break.
Mbappe featured only in the first of France's four Nations League matches. The 27-year-old forward fired France to a 1-0 win over Turkey, but suffered an overstretching of the posterior capsule of the left knee joint in the process. He then left the camp and spent the rest of the international break undergoing rehabilitation.
A photo then emerged of Mbappe at a party in Paris with his partner Ester Exposito. Mbappe also shared Instagram footage of himself cycling in Switzerland, shortly after Mourinho had explicitly forbidden his players from doing so because of the risk of falling. That behaviour left many Real fans bewildered and reportedly also some officials.
Speaking at Friday's press conference, Mourinho called the debates "ridiculous" and said about the cycling footage: "He was in a hotel made up of small houses. The bicycles were used to travel back and forth between the communal areas of a quiet hotel. And you get the impression that he did the Tour de Suisse."
Jose Mourinho addresses the Real Madrid fans
Mourinho also insisted Mbappe would feature in Saturday evening's 9pm match against Villarreal. If there were whistles against Mbappe, that would be "a victory for you", Mourinho said, directing the remark at critical reporters.
He also told the fans: "To be fair means to be intelligent. I promise: if a Real Madrid player does not behave like a Real Madrid player, if he fails as a player, does not fulfil his duties as a player or as a citizen, you will not see that player on the bench. You will not be able to whistle at him. He will be at home."
Mbappe has made a strong start to the season. In his first eight competitive matches, he has eight goals and two assists. Even so, Real have already slipped up twice in the Primera Division and now sit six points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, who remain flawless.
