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Real Madrid fans expressed their discontent on Thursday by booing Kylian Mbappé at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium before a 2-0 victory over already relegated Oviedo.
Kylian Mbappé spoke to the media after coming on as a substitute after missing out due to injury and was booed by many in the crowd.
“I think that’s life, we can’t change people’s opinions when they’re angry. It’s a way of speaking, of expressing oneself, and I think we shouldn’t take it personally,” Mbappé said. “It is the life of a Real Madrid player and the life of a famous player like me.”
New spot on depth chart
Perhaps the most jarring revelation of the night was not the boos, but Mbappé’s current situation in the locker room.
Despite providing the assist for Jude Bellingham’s 79th-minute goal to seal the victory, the superstar finds himself in an unfamiliar position on the depth chart.
“Today I didn’t play because the coach told me that, for him, I am the fourth forward of the squad behind Mastantuono, Vini (Vinícius Júnior) and Gonzalo (García). In the end I accept it and play the time I have. We played well, I gave an assist to Jude and I am positive.”
Addressing “vacations” and injuries
The frustration in the stands seemed to be due to Mbappé’s absence during the match. Classica match that Madrid desperately needed. When addressing the public reaction following his absence, Mbappé was direct about the medical reality and public perception.
“It was a pretty serious leg injury. It was a shame for me not to be able to play in the Clásico. It’s a game that I love to play, I always score against Barcelona, so it was a shame not to be able to help the team.
When asked why fans remained scathing about his recent time off, he stood his ground:
“I had the club’s permission. I didn’t understand what people were saying. But you have to accept it, a footballer can’t always try to understand. I have to look forward, move forward and change the situation. I think I can change the situation.”
Return to a hostile home
A pair of banners against President Florentino Pérez were briefly detained before being removed by security agents. Perez greeted some of the fans, but at one point appeared to get into a verbal altercation with some of the team’s supporters near the VIP stands, according to Spanish media reports.
The match capped a chaotic week for Madrid, which began with an altercation between players in training that led the club to fine Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each.
Then came the defeat against Barcelona in Sunday’s classic that allowed its rival to win the League title, and on Tuesday Pérez called for new elections after saying he was the victim of an “organized campaign” to unseat him.
Talk
As Madrid faces a second straight season without a major trophy (having been knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich and the Copa del Rey by second-division side Albacete), the club’s internal politics have become public theater.
While Florentino Pérez spent the week accusing the media of an “organized campaign” against him, Mbappé chose to address his critics directly.
“There are people who don’t speak, who only speak in the press, and I prefer to speak here, from my own mouth.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
