Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, on Friday, hit out at the criticism directed at star striker Kylian Mbappe, calling the attacks “ridiculous.”
The French captain has faced backlash for choosing to recover from a left knee injury sustained while playing for his country in a Nations League match against Turkey in France and Switzerland instead of Madrid.
The 27-year-old was also seen at the entrance of a Parisian nightclub and captured on a bicycle during his time in Switzerland.
Some fans interpreted this as a deliberate snub of Mourinho, who just days earlier had advised players to steer clear of skiing or cycling to avoid the risk of injury.
“Are these criticisms over the top? They are ridiculous,” said Mourinho at his press conference on the eve of their La Liga home match with Villarreal.
“All the players who were obliged to be present every day for their recovery were here.
“Mbappe came, like the others, to undergo scans in order to be diagnosed.
“He then went to see a specialist in France, because he has a history with his knee, which we cannot ignore.”
Mourinho, whose side already are six points behind rivals Barcelona in the title race, is never one to shy away from a confrontation and tackled each of the criticisms against Mbappe.
“Problems involving football are not sufficient for you,” the 63-year-old Portuguese coach told reporters.
“Therefore you have raised the issue of the discotheque, which in fact was not one, because it was used for a private event for Fashion Week.
“As for the bicycle in Switzerland. It was in a hotel, made up of small houses, which makes them available so guests can ride to the communal areas, and you would have us believe he was competing in the Tour of Switzerland.”
Mourinho dismissed the possibility of Mbappe receiving a hostile reception on Saturday, repeating that he was “certain” the all-time World Cup record goalscorer had met “his obligations to Real Madrid.”
This season, Mbappe has come under attack from fans more than once.
Last month, the Ultras Sur, a Real Madrid supporters’ group with far-right ties that is banned from the Santiago Bernabeu, voiced their displeasure with him.
They were angry that before a Real Madrid match, Mbappe, along with Vinicius Junior and fellow Frenchman Ibrahima Konate, partly rolled up t-shirts reading “We are all Ceutans,” a gesture meant to show support for the people of the Spanish territory bordering Morocco.
Ceuta, Spain’s north African exclave, has been struggling with a migration crisis.
