Arbeloa Clarifies Mbappé's Position at Real Madrid: Not the Fourth-Choice Striker
Real Madrid coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, has affirmed that he never placed Kylian Mbappé as the fourth option in his team’s attacking lineup. This statement comes in response to an issue that arose after Mbappé’s comments in the mixed zone at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium following the match against Real Oviedo.
In the match, which took place on Friday (May 15th) early morning WIB, Mbappé mentioned that he was in fourth place among Madrid’s forward options, behind Vinícius Júnior, Gonzalo García, and Franco Mastantuono.
Arbeloa responded to the statement by emphasizing that there was a misunderstanding in the interpretation of the situation.
“He must have misunderstood. Honestly, I don’t know what to say, because I never told him that he was the fourth-choice striker,” Arbeloa said, as quoted on the club’s official website.
In that match, Mbappé only came on in the 69th minute, replacing Gonzalo García, who had already scored a goal. His presence on the field was also met with jeers from some fans at the Santiago Bernabéu.
The French national team striker had previously stated that he was 100% fit after missing two matches, including a big match against Barcelona due to injury. However, he questioned the coach’s decision not to start him.
Arbeloa reiterated that the decision to select players is entirely his responsibility as the coach.
“If I don’t play him, then he doesn’t play. That’s my decision as coach. I spoke to him before the match. I don’t know how that could have been misinterpreted,” he explained.
Despite this dynamic, Mbappé’s performance this season remains impressive. He has scored 41 goals in 42 matches in all competitions with Real Madrid, just three goals behind his debut season record of 44 goals.
The victory over Real Oviedo saw Madrid collect 80 points and remain in second place in the standings, 11 points behind Barcelona, who have secured the championship title. (Ant/P-3)
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