Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Monday, 04 May 2026, 14:46 / Updated Monday, 04 May 2026 14:50
Radio Marca discussed Kylian Mbappe's trip to Cagliari with his partner, although he is injured and expected to be on the mend.
At the time when Real's teammates were kicking off the match in Barcelona against Espanyol (2-0), Kylian Mbappe was getting off the train that was bringing him back to Madrid from the short vacation he spent in Cagliari, in Sicily, with his girlfriend, Ester Expósito.
The image infuriated supporters of the multiple Spanish and European champions, who knew him injured, recovering to “catch” El Clasico on May 10 with FC Barcelona.
“The distance between Kylian Mbappe and the rest of the squad is palpable”
Mbappe's escapade was a hot topic not only at coach Alvaro Arbeloa's post-match conference, but also on daily newspaper Marca's radio station. Invited to the show “La Tribu”, the columnist Nacho Labarga highlighted the “anger of the fans” and let it be understood that everything that happened on Sunday night means that the relationship of the French international with his teammates is not brilliant at all.
Kylian Mbappe and Ester Esposito, captured at a restaurant in Cagliari
Kylian Mbappe ve Ester Exposito, Italia'da bir restoranda zadjelendi. pic.twitter.com/OUPjVkWNnL
— Gusholder Haber Bülteni (@gusholderhaber) May 2, 2026
“The distance between him and the rest of the team is palpable. Arbeloa's messages are a joke to Mbappé. He doesn't defend him like he used to. I don't know if Mbappé is forcing something. There are too many things going on to ignore that possibility.
I think he's pushing himself too hard. I am very surprised by the messages of Bellingham, Mastantuono, Vinicius, Arbeloa… Yesterday, everyone seemed much more comfortable without Mbappé. It seems that the Real Madrid star is causing problems in the dressing roomLabarga noted.
Asked about Mbappe's escapade in Italy, Arbeloa stated that it is up to the Frenchman how he spends his free time, as long as he respects the recovery program agreed with the club's medical staff.
“All the planning for the injured players is overseen and managed by the Real Madrid medical staff, who control when they have to go to the Valdebebas base and when they don't. From there, each player does what they see fit in their free time and I can't interfere in that”, was the reaction of the “interim” technician of the “galacticos”.
“Florentino Perez makes the same mistake as in his first term”
Another guest on the show, Ferran Martinez, brought up a sensitive topic that was also discussed after the dismissal of Xabi Alonso in January. “It seems that president Florentino Perez is making the same mistake as in his first term, when the players got to do what they wanted.
I am surprised that Mbappé has reached this point. It's a directionless Madrid, struggling aimlessly. Madrid has not had a project for many years”, commented the journalist.
Upon his departure from the bench, after the failure suffered against Barcelona in the final of the Spanish Super Cup (2-3), Xabi Alonso revealed that he had caught the attention of the club's leaders: “The players have too much power in the club and it's not normal“. The allusion was then especially to Vinicius jr, with whom he had had a simmering conflict ever since he was installed on the bench last summer.
“Mbappé did what he wanted because he considered himself the president's favorite”
Emilio Pérez de Rozas y Arribas, a columnist at Barcelona's Cadena Cope, drew the final conclusion: “Everything at Real Madrid this season has been a disaster from the point of view of the authorities. They have tolerated a player like Mbappé doing what he wants.
Things happened this year that would not have been allowed in other years. Mbappé did what he wanted because he considered himself the president's favorite. Someone higher up has to tell him what to do. Looks like everyone has washed their hands of this season finale“.
