French football legend Michel Platini has offered tactical advice to incoming Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso on how best to utilise Kylian Mbappé, following the striker’s Golden Boot-winning season.
Mbappé, whose roots trace to Cameroon and Algeria, netted 42 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign in Spain, earning him the European Golden Boot despite Real Madrid finishing the season without a major trophy.
Speaking to RMC, Platini praised the 26-year-old’s achievements while cautioning against overcomplicating his role.
“Mbappé is a phenomenal guy. He scored 42 goals in Spain. He won the Golden Boot, he is the top scorer in Europe. It means he was good. He plays in a team that hasn’t had an exceptional year,” he said.
“Real Madrid is also getting a little older. Carlo Ancelotti has finished his cycle,” he added.
The former UEFA president then turned his attention to Xabi Alonso, who is taking over at the Bernabéu after a successful stint with Bayer Leverkusen.
He urged Alonso to simplify his tactical expectations for Mbappé.
“Mbappé is a phenomenon. He is a striker who scores goals. Don’t ask him to play like Messi, Modric, Platini or Zidane. He is a striker. A centre-forward, not a centre-forward, I don’t understand what the new coaches think about that,” Platini stated.
He concluded by highlighting a key dilemma for Madrid’s next chapter: “He is a striker who scores goals. That is the most important thing.
“Then, you have to know one thing: either you build him a team that plays for him, or you build him a team that plays well. That is the difficulty.”