After his extraordinary ceremony at the Santiago Bernabéu, Kylian Mbappé was officially presented to journalists from around the world during a traditional press conference. This was an opportunity to clarify certain points and send signals to his new teammates.
Kylian Mbappé’s packed schedule on his first day in Madrid continued on Tuesday. The former Paris Saint-Germain player underwent all medical tests early in the morning before taking official photos alongside Florentino Pérez, president of the Madrid club, while signing his five-season contract until June 2029.
A few minutes later, sporting his third outfit of the morning, the Bondy-born player arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium for a presentation in front of the 80,000 socios and Real Madrid supporters in attendance. Music, chants, a stage, and giant screens were all part of the grand spectacle, with legends like Zinedine Zidane and Raul present. Everything was grandiose for the first words of the AS Monaco-trained player.
“It’s incredible to be here. Incredible. I’ve dreamed for so many years of playing for Real Madrid. Today, that dream has come true, and I’m a very happy man. I want to thank President Pérez who believed in me from day one. A lot has happened, but I want to thank him. (…) Since I was a child, I had a dream, and that was to play here. Being here means a lot to me. For several years, Real Madrid supporters have shown me a lot of affection, and I thank them for that. Now, I have another dream: to live up to the history of this club, the best club in the world. I can say one thing: I will give my life for this club and this emblem,” he initially declared at the Santiago Bernabéu during the exceptional ceremony organized.
After the historic celebration, it was time for a more traditional press conference. Mbappé sends a message to his coach and teammates!
Sitting alongside club legend Emilio Butragueño, Kylian Mbappé took the opportunity to express his joy at joining the Casa Blanca, hailed as the greatest club in the world by the captain of the French national team, before discussing his upcoming integration: “I have to adapt well to the team because I’m joining a great group of players. I respect the past and can’t say much more. I’m not concerned about where I’ll play because I’ve played in all attacking positions in France, PSG, and Monaco. I just want to be on the field, that’s the only certainty. I spoke with the coach this morning at Valdebebas, but we didn’t talk tactics. I want to play with all the players: Vinicius, Bellingham… they are great players. I met some of my teammates this morning, and I’m very happy to be a Real Madrid player. Vinicius is a great player, and I’m very happy to play with him, as well as with Rodrygo and everyone else. Great players are meant to play together. I’ll have no problem playing with Vinicius. He’s had perfect seasons. Now, I have to adapt to Vinicius, Rodrygo, and everyone else to help them. I know about Endrick’s reputation. Many people talk about him, but I haven’t seen much of him, although I’m sure he’s talented.”
Indeed, with so many great players in the attacking lines (Rodrygo, Vinicius, Bellingham, Endrick, Güler), questions about rotation and complementarity quickly arose, but the former Monaco player is not worried: “This is a team that always wins, and always has. What I want is to contribute a little more. I’m very happy and really want to adapt to give them what they need, what they ask of me. I really want to start training and having fun. My French teammates (Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Mendy, etc.) have always told me to go to Madrid. Vinicius also told me to play in attack, and it’s good to know that the team’s players wanted to play with me. We talked this morning with Pintus and the person who surrounds me. We’re preparing the best possible program. We’ve played seven competitions, and the season has been long. This one will be too, and we have a special preparation. We talked this morning, and we’ll follow the established program,” he emphasized. Mbappé has already met his teammates this morning at the training center.
Throughout his press conference, Mbappé reassured everyone regarding supposed internal conflicts. He came to fulfill his dream of shining in Madrid alongside great players: “I’m told there’s no other club like Real Madrid. Everyone has played at other clubs, big clubs, but everyone tells me that here, I’ll have a unique experience. More important than winning, this is a club that lives its dream 100%. Everyone who works here has the passion to work in Madrid. This is transmitted. This morning, I saw a lot of excited people at Valdebebas. I’m very happy to now be part of the great Real Madrid family. I’ve watched all the team’s matches, but there are things you only see on the field. I know everyone, but I don’t know what kind of passes they prefer, their movements… I have to adapt, tactically. I don’t want to come here, score my goal, and go home. I’ll score goals, but it’s the team that will score,” concluded the number 9 of Real Madrid. The former Parisian sees life in pink under the Madrid sky!
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