Barcelona president Joan Laporta has criticized Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, demanding he show “respect” following the Frenchman’s actions after the 2016 Spanish Super Cup final.
Mbappé had asked Real Madrid players to leave the pitch at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium immediately after receiving their silver medals and not to give the Barcelona players a guard of honor, contrary to the usual practice after a title loss.
Laporta launched a scathing attack on Mbappé for this act, which he deemed disrespectful, unsportsmanlike, and uncharacteristic of Real Madrid.
Laporta told Spanish media, “I’m surprised by what he did. In victory and defeat, one must be dignified and respectful. This is sport, and behavior should be natural.”
He added, “I think we were dignified in our victory and respected the opposing team, and that’s why I can’t understand what happened.”
He added, “There was a turning point after the La Liga match, and the players felt a bit provoked, which is understandable.”
He concluded, “The truth is, I didn’t see that particular moment with Mbappé on the pitch, but I understand that it was a very difficult and painful time. They must have been very devastated, and that’s where the reaction came from.”
It’s worth noting that Mbappé played through his knee injury and participated in the last fifteen minutes of El Clásico, but he couldn’t make a difference, and Real Madrid lost 3-2, thus ending their hopes of winning their first title of the season.
