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Óscar Bellot
Madrid
Martes, 21 de enero 2025, 13:40
Kylian Mbappé commands the press room with the same ease he uses to outmaneuver opponents on the field. The Frenchman appeared before the media ahead of Real Madrid's clash with Salzburg in the Champions League's seventh round, leaving everyone in awe with his extraordinary eloquence. "I'm doing very well. For the past month or month and a half, I've been in a good place. I have total confidence for tomorrow. For my game. And for the team," stated the Bondy star, analyzing the reasons for his underwhelming performance at the start of the season.
"It was more of a mental issue. Physically, I was fine, happy with the group, but I needed to give more. I knew it. And after Bilbao, I told myself 'let's go'. You didn't come to Real Madrid to play poorly. That changed everything. At Madrid, you always have to play well, and now I'm ready," explained the player, who showed understanding towards the criticism he received in the early months of the season. "It's normal. People expected a lot, and it's normal for them to talk. But I don't take it personally. You have to stay calm and focused. I knew it would change," he noted.
He admitted to struggling at times but emphasized that he always had complete confidence in turning the situation around. "I always want to give more, contribute more. And when you see that you're not doing it, it hurts. I knew this could happen... And in Bilbao, I realized I couldn't do worse. That I could only improve. That was the key," he emphasized.
He proclaimed his happiness at finally fulfilling the great dream of his career. "Being here is always a dream. Every time I have the opportunity to play here, I'm happy. Even when I wasn't playing well, I was. It was my fault, no one else's. And now I'm better. Trying to learn the Spanish culture, a bit different from the French, but I'm working on it. And it's going well. I like my life," said the Frenchman.
Mbappé naturally embraces pressure and even enjoys it. "I'm the type of player who needs this pressure. The feeling that you always have to give more. There were boos against Celta, but it's normal at a club like Madrid. You always have to win, and if you don't win the Super Cup, there might be boos. It's normal. The night against Celta was tough, but we've improved, playing with personality, changing situations. And this is what Madrid fans want: to play well and win matches," said the forward, who demonstrated his leadership by calling for support from the fans during the Celta match. What did he want to convey to the crowd with that gesture? he was asked. "That we all stay united. I understand the boos, no problem, but let's not lose unity. It's that simple. We need everyone to write a new page in history," he added.
He acknowledged overthinking after arriving at Real Madrid, which hampered his ability to showcase his skills. "I thought a lot. Too much. How to do this, how to move... and when you think so much, you don't play well," argued the number 9, who was brief when discussing his situation with the French national team, having been left out of Didier Deschamps' last two squads, as well as the criticism he has received in his home country. "With the national team, nothing's wrong. France is like that, and I can't change what happens there. I'm eager to return in March. My love for the national team hasn't changed. But for now, I'm only thinking about Madrid. About giving my best football," he defended.
Mbappé sees himself close to one hundred percent, having scored 18 goals so far this season, many of them in the last month and a half. "I aim to do better in every match, so I hope tomorrow's will be even better. I trust in my quality and my teammates. Let's go for more," he stated in a press conference where he elaborated on the acclimatization process he had to undergo to fit seamlessly into a star-studded dressing room.
"I'm never going to be a shy player, no. But you have to come to Real Madrid with humility because it's a team that has won everything, and you can't come with demands. Maximum respect. And work," explained the forward, who doesn't set a goal tally for the end of the season. "If I reach 40, 40. But if more, more," he said in an interview where he acknowledged the difficult moments experienced in the Real Madrid dressing room after the debacle in the Spanish Super Cup final. "We lost a final against our direct rival. On the plane, we were very sad. But we already have the feeling that there's a lot left, a lot. We were smart to focus on the Cup and beat Celta, which wasn't easy. The classic was a very bad match, but in football, you have to change your mindset very quickly. And now, for example, we're already thinking about beating Salzburg."
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