How Kylian Mbappe Fallout Affects Real Madrid’s Preparation For Champions League Final

Kylian Mbappe is also well aware that by the end of his lucrative new contract, he will be 26 years old and presumably at his peak. Anything is possible at that point; never say never.

Real Madrid was supposed to have a dream seven days, which starts with signing Kylian Mbappe – arguably the world’s most desired player – at the start of the week and win the Champions League by the end of it.

That was the expectation of Madrid president Florentino Perez, who was confident that a deal for France’s World Cup-winning forward would be completed.

Mbappe’s decision to remain at Paris Saint-Germain has not gone down well. The Madrid press has been enraged to the point where all coverage this week has been focused on the non-deal rather than the minor matter of Saturday’s final against Liverpool.

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The fallout has seen Karim Benzema court controversy, but it may end up being good news for some of Real Madrid’s key players. In any case, it has not been the build-up to Real Madrid’s bid for a 14th Champions League title that the club had hoped for.

While Liverpool’s preparations for the Paris final have included dealing with the disappointment of missing out on the Premier League title by a point to Manchester City, Real Madrid’s squad has dealt with a completely different setback.

There is certainly some disappointment within their camp over the failure to sign Mbappe, because many of the players were looking forward to the opportunity to play with him, not least because they were assured his arrival was a done deal.

The Madrid media felt the same way, and the main reason for the ensuing uproar was that all they had recently heard – or believed – was Perez’s version of events for the club.

Everything was agreed upon, according to sources close to the president. Mbappe had begun looking for a property in Madrid, his presentation to the adoring fans was already planned, and Perez had stated in private meetings and dinners that everything was in order.

Perez told everyone that the player was counting down the days until he arrived, and the rejection of a new contract offer from PSG over the past eight months only served to confirm their beliefs. Mbappe has always stated unequivocally that he will make his decision at the end of the season.

Real Madrid told him he had to choose between money and glory, and this week there has been much speculation that he chose money. His motivation was undoubtedly more than monetary.

Despite what you may have read or heard, Mbappe believes he said “yes” to PSG and staying in France rather than “no” to Real Madrid. That was clear to me when I met him this week in Paris for an interview.

In the end, there was little to choose between the offers from both clubs, and the player is convinced he still has unfinished business in Paris.

Money was obviously a factor for the player, but it’s also about love – which he has in abundance in Paris – and power, the three things humans crave. The player will now be the focal point of the club, and everyone will have to adjust to that. And yes, Lionel Messi is among them. Let’s see how it goes.

Kylian Mbappe is also well aware that by the end of his lucrative new contract, he will be 26 years old and presumably at his peak. Anything is possible at that point; never say never.

Karim Benzema, Real Madrid’s current star, is 37 years old and may not be with the club when his contract expires. Perhaps this explains his bizarre Instagram post of a picture of Tupac Shakur with an image in the background of a ‘friend’ of the rapper who allegedly betrayed him before his death in 1996. This was interpreted as a less-than-subtle hint highlighting Mbappe’s own ‘betrayal.’

Of course, the two are France teammates, and Mbappe was quick to point out that, in his opinion, this infantile reaction was caused by the powers that be at Real Madrid, rather than by Benzema himself.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

Benzema, for one, has been dissatisfied with his involvement in the saga, and it took his intervention this week to change the mood.

During a Champions League media day on Tuesday, he effectively pressed the reset button, saying that the time for discussing these minor issues had passed and that it was now time to focus on the game.

Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who are both in the final on Saturday, are likely to be disappointed by Mbappe’s absence in Madrid.

Vinicius has played more minutes for Real Madrid this season than any other player and has been a standout performer in the Champions League. Rodrygo has been used less frequently, but he provided one of the most memorable moments in European football this season when he scored twice in the dying moments of their Champions League semi-final against Manchester City to keep the tie alive.

More support for Vinicius, who was told as a 16-year-old that the club saw him as its future rather than Kylian Mbappe, is now unavoidable. His potential importance to the Spanish champions has risen dramatically. Vinicius will most likely benefit from not having to look behind him.

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As I write, new contracts for him and Rodrygo are being negotiated. Neither is a ‘Mbappe,’ but Real Madrid has realized that this is the coat to which they must cut their cloth. They can no longer compete in the purchase of superstars and will have to rely on signing prodigiously talented youngsters, such as the aforementioned pair and Eduardo Camavinga, and developing them into superstars.

The big question now is where this off-field drama leaves Real Madrid and its president.

There is no doubt that Perez and the club as a whole need to face reality. Neither are they used to coming off second best in any transfer negotiations, but they must accept that the timing of these massive deals is now in the hands of the players, thanks to Mbappe’s handling of the situation, letting his contract lapse and waiting until the end of the season to announce his decision – having changed the transfer landscape.

Perez is a brilliant leader with a killer instinct, and previous transactions have demonstrated to the football world that he and Real Madrid always get what they want.

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