RReal Madrid star Kylian Mbappé was one of the club’s first players to send a farewell message to former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso.
The Frenchman came on as a substitute in the Spanish Super Cup match against Barcelona as he was still recovering from an injury. However, according to L’Equipe, the player played a few minutes in the second half of the final in an effort to save Xabi Alonso from a possible red card, which ended up happening.
Florentino Prez and Xabi Alonso’s post-Supercopa meeting breaks Real Madrid fans’ hearts
Mbappe always tried to save Xabi Alonso even when he was injured
According to a French newspaper, the 2018 World Cup winner doubted that Xabi Alonso’s life at Real Madrid would be over if he lost against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup.
Mbappe had injured his left knee and was expected to be out until January 21st. However, the player traveled to Saudi Arabia to join the team and appear as a substitute if necessary. Fortunately for him, the Merengues won the semi-final against Atlético Madrid and his performance was not needed. However, in the final against Barcelona, the player was substituted in the final stages of the match.
Manager Xabi Alonso brought the Frenchman on to replace Gonzalo Garcia in the 76th minute. Time was running out and the Spanish league’s top scorer had to look for an equalizer that would take the game to penalties.
Mbappé’s most outstanding performance in the final was his tackle on the leg of Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, which earned him a red card, a play that could have gone very badly for the Frenchman.
Poor play in midfield, with Kylian unable to create chances in front of goal, Real Madrid ended up losing 3-2 to their arch-rivals. According to L’Equipe, Mbappe should not have played any minutes or been included in the squad due to injury, but the player was always “requesting” him to be useful in preventing Xavi from being sacked.
Did Mbappe respect Xabi Alonso?
Much has been said on social media about whether the French striker’s Instagram message to Xavi is genuine or part of Real Madrid’s protocols following Alonso’s departure.
Internet users commented that the Frenchman’s message didn’t make much sense, given the behavior shown during the Spanish Super Cup final awards ceremony when Xavi asked him to line up to make way for Barcelona and the Frenchman responded with a rude gesture, ignoring his then-manager.
Social media users have commented that the truth of the Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid team incident may never be known, but many netizens believe that the French striker is to blame for the Spanish player’s departure.
