Real Madrid’s 4-2 defeat to SL Benfica in the UEFA Champions League, which has forced them into a playoff tie to qualify for the Round of 16, continues to draw sharp criticism from former players and fans.
Questions are being asked of the team’s level and commitment, while those within the club are also angry with the image of the team being presented in the European competition.
Former Real Madrid player and director Pedja Mijatovic became the latest to air his concerns, pointing fingers at one of the team’s best performers this season – Kylian Mbappe.
Indeed, speaking on El Larguero, the ex-Real Madrid star questioned the French superstar’s leadership capabilities, stating that scoring goals does not make him a leader.
“I think Real Madrid lacks a leader, not a player who makes a difference. I don’t see a leader who says, ‘What the hell are we doing?’ A Sergio Ramos, Modric, Benzema, Fernando Hierro, Raul…. A leader the camera focuses on,” he began.
“Mbappe is a great footballer, but he’s not a leader. Just like Zidane wasn’t with France. He wasn’t a leader, but he was the best player. Goals don’t make Mbappe a leader,” Mijatovic added.
Predrag Mijatovic, former Real Madrid director.
Pedja Mijatovic was critical of Mbappe’s leadership skills. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)
“In my generation, the leader was Fernando Hierro, and when Fernando said something, you had to do it no matter what.”
Explaining that Real Madrid’s problems go beyond just the coach, Mijatovic stated: “When
Xabi Alonso had already left, I said that perhaps it wasn’t a coaching problem. And I still say it.
“Alvaro Arbeloa has arrived, a coach who perhaps doesn’t have enough experience, but who is a Real Madrid fan and knows the players and the club, and again you see these signs of complacency.”
Pointing fingers at the players, he added: “And I think we have to start asking ourselves if a coach can fix this. It’s not the president’s fault: I think the players will have to wake up a bit and ask themselves how they can improve.
“Against Benfica, you see them lose the ball and it doesn’t seem to matter to them, they act as if they’re the best in the world and as if nothing’s wrong. It’s fatigue, complacency… I don’t see the spark, I don’t see anything.”