Plunged into a period of doubts for several months and his arrival at Real Madrid, Kylian Mbappé received the support of Nicolas Anelka, who also experienced a difficult adaptation with the Merengue during his time.
French attackers who have played at both PSG and Real Madrid are rare, and since the start of the season, Kylian Mbappé has followed in the footsteps of Nicolas Anelka, trained in Paris and author of a complicated season at Real in 1999-2000. Suffice to say that if there is a former player well placed to discuss the complicated situation of Kylian Mbappé with the Merengue this season, it is the winner of Euro 2000 with the Blues. Even if he found a smile again this Sunday during Real's victory against Getafe (2-0), during which he scored a real center-forward goal à la Benzema, the former Parisian is still going through a difficult period. Nothing surprising for Anelka, who thinks that Mbappé needs time to adapt to his new life in Madrid but also and above all to fully adapt to his new position as number 9.
“You don’t respect the position of 9”
“It’s not easy for him, it’s his first experience abroad. He arrives at a club which has won everything. In his position, there is Vinicius who has been flying through the championship and the Champions League for two seasons. It's not easy. I think they will be patient because he has to adapt to a new position. The problem is that everyone thinks that for a winger, it's like a striker position. But that's a completely different post. He's only been playing 9 for a year. The game of winger and Mbappé is speed and being in space. When you play 9, you constantly have your back to the goal with two guys on you. We ask him by changing club, country, stadium, teammates… to become a number 9 in three or four months. It's not possible. You have to wait. You are not respecting the position of 9. It cannot become 9 overnight. Today he is learning the position. He has the qualities to succeed but these qualities require patience. Winger then 9, not many made the transfer. Cristiano Ronaldo, when he arrived at Real, was a winger. Then with age he became 9. But we are talking about Ronaldo after five years at Real! You need patience”detailed, on RMC, Anelka, who thinks that Carlo Ancelotti will succeed in getting Mbappé out of his bad patch to make him the killer that he was in Monaco, at PSG and in the French team in recent years.
