Mourinho defends Mbappé and slams the controversy ahead of Villarreal

Asked on Friday, just before the match against Villarreal, José Mourinho firmly disputed the media treatment given to Kylian Mbappé during his recovery, calling the criticism exaggerated and ridiculous.

Medical follow‑up timeline

The coach of Real Madrid recalled the steps of the medical follow‑up of the French striker, injured in the left knee while with the Bleus. “He was there. He got the diagnosis, he went to see an external consultant for the examination of his knee. He had to follow a recovery plan that you should not know in detail,” Mourinho said.

He then referred to the two incidents that have fueled the controversy in Spain: the night out at a nightclub followed by the bike ride. “You have been looking for problems. You talked about the nightclub, then came the bike episode,” the Portuguese launched at the journalists.

Mourinho broadened his defence to the whole dressing room, stating that the players of Real Madrid have been exemplary on a professional level during this period. “During this period, the players of Real Madrid have been exemplary professionally,” he assured.

He reiterated his principle of protecting players: “I will always defend a football player. He will always be a human being, a boy who is capable of making mistakes.”

The coach also highlighted the physical condition of the squad, noting that it is the first time in ten years that the club has only long‑term injuries. “It is the first time in ten years that we have no injuries apart from those of a long period,” Mourinho said, before concluding that the story does not please the media.

Finally, the coach refused to confirm the presence of Mbappé in the eleven of Saturday: “I will not tell you whether he will play tomorrow or not,” he warned, leaving the role of the captain of the Bleus against Villarreal still uncertain.