Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has flatly dismissed suggestions that Kylian Mbappe was a "coward" or "insecure" for stepping away from penalty-taking duties following his missed spot-kick against Liverpool.
The Frenchman has been haunted by criticism throughout his start to life in Madrid. The backlash peaked when Mbappe had a second-half penalty beaten away by Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher during a 2-0 Champions League defeat to the English giants last week.
When Madrid were awarded a spot-kick against Getafe on Sunday, Jude Bellingham stepped up while Mbappe watched on. The England international coolly sent David Soria the wrong way.
Mbappe did get himself on the scoresheet eight minutes later, yet conspired to miss a glut of chances and didn't escape further scrutiny.
The controversial Spanish production El Chiringuito discussed whether the number nine was a "coward" for his penalty defection. Ancelotti made his view abundantly clear in a press conference ahead of Madrid's trip to Athletic Club on Wednesday.
Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe reacted badly to his penalty miss against Liverpool / Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/GettyImages
"Getafe's penalty can be analysed in two ways," the Italian said. "Someone sees it as an act of insecurity and we see it as an act of responsibility and altruism. These are two important things for us.
"The altruism of a great talent like Mbappe is an act that we value very much because it means that the one who could be the greatest talent in football is putting himself at the service of the team.
"For me it is not a lack of courage but an important act for his teammates. Everyone at the club values it as an act of altruism. That means he is on the right path. I value it very much."
Ancelotti has never been slow to defend Mbappe, even while admitting that the prolific striker is yet to rediscover his best form. The Italian explained that he lets his players decide who will take a spot-kick during each game, although Mbappe's overall record from 12 yards doesn't inspire an overwhelming amount of confidence.
Throughout his career, the former Paris Saint-Germain forward has only converted 45 of his 56 penalties, a little over 80%. For perspective, the average penalty conversion rate is 76%. Bellingham has a perfect record from just four attempts during his young career while Vinicius Junior boasts an even worse return than Mbappe, dispatching 77% of his career efforts.
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