Kylian Mbappe subjected to whistles from Real Madrid supporters in their 1-0 win over Athletic ClubÂ
Kylian Mbappe was booed and whistled at by Real Madrid fans at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday (April 20). The Madridistas were not happy to see the Frenchman in the stands, as he was shown on the big screen.
Real Madrid were in action against Athletic Club in LaLiga when Mbappe was shown on the giant screen. The Frenchman was serving a one-match ban after his red card during their 1-0 league win over Alaves last week (April 13).
The fans expressed their discontent with the 26-year-old centre-forward after he failed to score in the 5-1 (aggregate) thrashing at the hands of Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The defending champions lost 3-0 at the Emirates in the first leg and 2-1 at the Bernabeu in the second.
Kylian Mbappe started both matches and led the attack. He came close to scoring in both legs but failed to find the back of the net. He won a penalty after tangling with Declan Rice in the second leg, but it was overturned by VAR as the contact for the foul was not significant.
Real Madrid beat Athletic Club 1-0 on Sunday night despite their star man's absence. Federico Valverde scored a stunning goal (90+3') to collect all three points and keep the pressure on Barcelona in the title race. They are second on the LaLiga table, four points behind the Catalans.
When Cristiano Ronaldo sent message to Real Madrid fans about Kylian Mbappe
Cristiano Ronaldo spoke to El Chiringuito in February this year and sent a strong message to Real Madrid fans. He urged them to be patient with Kylian Mbappe, saying the Frenchman was bound to be a top player.
He said (via ESPN):
"Look after the lad. The fans need to look after him. He's very good. The club have to help to protect him, I have no doubt he'll bring a lot of joy to Madrid fans. I love [Mbappe], not just because of his story as a kid, how he loved Cristiano, I was his idol. I think he's a top player."
When asked what advice he would give the Frenchman, Ronaldo added:
"It's complicated, because he doesn't know how to play as a forward in my opinion -- or rather, it's not that he doesn't know, but it isn't his position. If I was at Madrid, I'd show him how to play as a number nine. I wasn't a forward. I got used to it, but I was a winger. People forget that. I was a forward, but not a typical forward. I think [Mbappe] shouldn't be a typical forward, he should do things his way."
Kylian Mbappe has scored 22 goals in 29 league games this season. He has another seven goals in 14 UEFA Champions League outings.