Florentino Perez made a strong speech to Kylian Mbappé after the match against Atlético. Take a look behind the scenes.
Real Madrid overcame Atlético de Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday evening. As well as the result, there was an important moment behind the scenes. After the match, Florentino Perez, president of the Merengue club, went into the dressing room to motivate his players, with particular attention paid to Kylian Mbappé, whose performance was less than stellar. Let’s take a look back at this revealing scene.
An eye-catching visit to the dressing room
As is his wont, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez made a point of visiting the Santiago Bernabéu dressing room to greet his players and take stock of the duel with Atlético. After congratulating Carlo Ancelotti’s squad on their efforts, he took the time to have a longer chat with one player in particular: Kylian Mbappé.
The French striker, who started and played the entire 90 minutes, failed to make a decisive impact against Diego Simeone’s solid line-up, which led to some frustration among Madrid fans.
The President’s unwavering support
Aware of the disappointment on Mbappé’s face, Florentino Perez did not hesitate to offer him a few encouraging words, according to information reported by Defensa Central. Recalling the Bondynois’ key role in the decisive match against Manchester City, he told him frankly:
“We’re here thanks to your three goals against City”, insisting on the importance of not giving up at this crucial stage of the season.
Despite his subdued performance against Atlético, Mbappé retains the full confidence of his president, who optimistically told him: “The next [match] will be better.
A crucial schedule
Kylian Mbappé knows he has a lot to look forward to, not least the return leg against Los Colchoneros. Real Madrid’s season is entering a decisive phase, and every match counts.
Starting with their next match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, Los Merengues will have the opportunity to get their La Liga campaign back on track. Third after their 2-1 defeat by Betis, and under pressure from Barça and Atlético, they have no room for error.
Against this tense backdrop, Mbappé is keen to rediscover his consistency and live up to the expectations placed in him, notably by stepping up his training efforts at Valdebebas. Faced with Madrid’s defensive density, he knows that his role will be decisive in putting his team back on the road to success.
Leave a Reply