💔 Ex-Real star warns: Are Mbappé & co not getting enough recognition? | OneFootball

After a titleless season, the pressure is mounting at Real Madrid: In the past campaign, the team had to concede both the league and the cup to FC Barcelona, and their Champions League run ended as early as the quarterfinals. The ambitions of Los Blancos are clear – titles are a must. However, internal cracks may be beginning to show, as statements from a former insider now suggest.

In a conversation with reporters, as reported by ‘Sportbild’, former player and ex-sporting director Predrag Mijatovic spoke critically about the situation at the record champions. The Montenegrin, who wore the Real shirt himself from 1996 to 1999 and served as sporting director from 2006 to 2009, sees risks especially in the squad structure and the atmosphere surrounding the top stars.

📸 Denis Doyle - 2008 Getty Images

“If you want to renew the team and look for new Modrics, Kroos, and Casemiros, you can’t do that in one summer,” said Mijatovic. “The team has to make several important decisions this summer.”

This mainly refers to the beginning upheaval in midfield. The long-time pillars Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Casemiro leave huge gaps that cannot be filled in the short term. At the same time, new stars like Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Junior now bear the responsibility – but this is exactly where Mijatovic sees the next construction site.

“If Vinícius, Mbappé, or Rodrygo are dissatisfied and don’t feel supported by the club, they can’t perform,” Sportbild further quotes Mijatovic. The connection to the fans also plays a role: “I don’t know if the fans still love Vinícius as much as they did two or three years ago, or if he still shows them as much respect as he did back then.”

A look at the numbers shows: Vinícius Junior scored 22 goals in 58 games last season – a decent record, but perhaps too little for a superstar. Mbappé, who scored an impressive 44 goals in 59 games in his first year at Real, was individually convincing, but like the entire team, remained without a title – a situation that is unsatisfying for a player of his caliber.

Mijatovic sees this as a fundamental problem with the transfer strategy: “I always say: it’s always counterproductive to collect great players with high market value. You have a valuable asset, but you don’t get the best out of them.”

The pressure on the club and the players is immense. By the start of the season on August 19 against Osasuna at the latest, it will become clear whether Real Madrid has learned from last season’s mistakes – and whether the star-studded attack is capable of making a full comeback both athletically and emotionally.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU - AFP or licensors