Fabio Capello has questioned Kylian Mbappé’s adaptation to life at Real Madrid, warning that the club’s iconic jersey carries a weight that not every player can bear.
As Real Madrid prepare for the Copa del Rey final against FC Barcelona on Saturday night, pressure continues to mount on Carlo Ancelotti’s side following an underwhelming run of form.
Despite remaining in the hunt for the La Liga title, Madrid trail their Catalan rivals by four points.
Their Champions League ambitions were recently cut short in the quarter-finals by Arsenal, a defeat that has only heightened expectations for domestic silverware.
The Copa del Rey final is now viewed as a crucial opportunity for redemption. But for Real Madrid’s newest superstar, Kylian Mbappé, the campaign has not gone according to script.
Speaking candidly about the French forward’s start in Madrid, former manager Fabio Capello reflected on the challenges that come with joining one of the world’s most demanding clubs.
“The Real Madrid jersey is a heavy one to carry,” Capello said. “He may have struggled to grasp what awaited him. The problem is that he’s not a true number 9, and he has to play alongside Vinicius.”
Mbappé, who arrived at the Bernabéu with sky-high expectations, was widely seen as the missing piece in an already glittering attack.
Paired with Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, the trio was expected to dominate both in Spain and across Europe.
Yet Capello suggested that early assumptions of effortless success have proven premature.
“Everyone thought the trio of Mbappé, Vinicius, and Bellingham would be enough to crush everything.
But this season, they absolutely have to win a trophy,” he added.
The weight of those expectations now rests firmly on Madrid’s performance in Seville this weekend.
Victory over Barcelona would not only hand Ancelotti a key trophy, but also provide much-needed vindication for a season that has yet to meet its lofty ambitions.
For Mbappé, the Copa del Rey final offers a timely stage to silence his critics and make a defining statement in his debut campaign.
But as Capello’s remarks underscore, excellence at Real Madrid is never assumed—it must be earned, under the heaviest of spotlights.
