Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has urged the club’s supporters to refrain from singling out Vinicius Junior for criticism after the Brazilian winger was booed by home fans at the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend.
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The reaction followed a turbulent week for Madrid, who suffered defeats to arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup and to second-division side Albacete in the Copa del Rey. The disappointing run also led to the dismissal of head coach Xabi Alonso last Monday.
Vinicius and Jude Bellingham were targeted by sections of the crowd during the weekend match, prompting Mbappe to publicly back his strike partner.
“The fans shouldn’t single out one individual to be booed,” Mbappe said on Monday. “None of this is Vinicius’ fault. If we play badly, it’s all of our fault. I didn’t like that at all.”
Mbappe described Vinicius — who narrowly missed out on the 2024 Ballon d’Or — as one of the best players in world football and stressed the importance of unity within the squad.
“We must protect him better so that he is not alone in the face of criticism,” Mbappe added. “He is not alone at Real Madrid. We are all with him.”
Real Madrid will look to stabilise their season when they host French side Monaco at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. The Spanish giants moved to within one point of La Liga leaders Barcelona over the weekend after a 2-0 win against Levante, which marked new head coach Alvaro Arbeloa’s first victory in charge.
