Kylian Mbappé will wear the white of Real Madrid for the first time in the Champions League this Tuesday, against Stuttgart (9 p.m.). A month after his arrival, two former figures of the club give us their thoughts on his debut in Spain.
There was some good, four goals, a title and an attitude that enchanted Madrid. There was some less good, too, a (small) drought in La Liga and criticism in the Spanish press. Before starting in the Champions League, Kylian Mbappé is completing his first month as a Real Madrid player.
“Waiting for a player to arrive for a long time, Real Madrid was not used to it, and neither were the fans,” says José Emilio Amavisca, a former Real figure in the 90s. “What struck me the most was that everyone was only looking at Kylian on the pitch,” notes the midfielder, now a commentator for “Tablero Deportivo” on Radio Nacional de España.
“He was not physically well and it cost him”
“I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid,” compares Paco Buyo, an icon with 454 games in goal for Real. The Portuguese player had also experienced a crazy craze in 2009, but with more success in front of the net. Because for Kylian Mbappé, the absence of goals in his first three La Liga games seemed like an eternity.
“I think he didn't arrive in great shape. He didn't have a spectacular start. The end of last season wasn't good for him. He wasn't in good physical shape and that cost him at the beginning,” analyses José Emilio Amavisca.
“Very quickly we will see the best version of Mbappé”
“It's natural, because any player needs a period of adaptation. Adaptation to the club, to his teammates, to the way of playing and to the coach, but little by little he's going to get there,” explains Paco Buyo, now a guest on the flagship show El Chiringuito de Jugones. “For me the adaptation phase is almost over, and very soon we're going to start seeing the best version of Mbappé,” he adds.
But while waiting for this better version, the Spanish media have not only given gifts to the captain of the Blues. “The truth is that I do not really understand the criticism he has received. He has arrived in a new club, a new city, a new country. Everything he has to face is enormous,” believes José Emilio Amavisca.
“With all due respect to PSG, this is another dimension. He needs this period of acclimatisation and he hasn't had enough time yet.”
One thing, however, has never been criticized by the Madrid press: Kylian Mbappé's attitude. “He arrived with humility, to contribute to the team. These megastars, we tell them all the time that they are the most beautiful and the strongest, they can be disconnected. He arrived intelligently,” judges the former midfielder. “I think that on this point, we can speak very well of him, no?” agrees Paco Buyo, who praises Kylian Mbappé's “involvement” from his first moments in Madrid.
Former players full of hope for Mbappé's future
“The only advice I can give him is to continue being himself. That way we'll all be happy,” continues the Chiringuito consultant. “Mbappé is Mbappé, he can become a great Real Madrid player,” even José Emilio Amavisca predicts. “In his first match he won a European Cup. That's why he came, to mark an era and why people talk about him like Cristiano, Raul, Zidane, Gento or Di Stefano. He has all the ingredients to get there.”
To reach this stage, they will have to shine in the Champions League. Kylian Mbappé will experience his debut with Real Madrid in the most beautiful club competition this Tuesday evening, against Stuttgart. No doubt for José Emilio Amavisca: “He will shine, because great players love big competitions, and he is one of the greatest.”
