Kylian Mbappé opted for sarcasm to respond to a report by Radio Marca claiming he was angry with Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane, turning an allegation regarding the Ballon d’Or into one of the most widely discussed media clashes in Spain.
The story began when journalist Javier Tinto alleged that Mbappé had asked Real Madrid, in the week leading up to the Madrid derby against Atlético, to launch a powerful media campaign to support his Ballon d’Or candidacy—a request the club’s board reportedly refused.
Tinto linked this refusal to the French forward’s performance during the derby, claiming that his body language and lack of exertion after his team went a man down reflected his frustration with management, even asserting that Real Madrid effectively looked as though they were playing with nine men.
The journalist added that Mbappé had requested similar public backing from France head coach Zinedine Zidane, who allegedly declined due to Ousmane Dembélé also being in contention for the award—a narrative that neither Real Madrid nor Zidane has publicly confirmed.
Mbappé responded directly to the station’s Instagram post, writing alongside laughing emojis: “Yeah, right.. Yeah, and I was angry at my great-aunt too!”, mockingly dismissing the claim without offering a detailed point-by-point rebuttal.
Raúl Varela, host of Radio Marca’s La Tribu, responded with his own jab at Mbappé’s comment before criticizing what he viewed as conduct unfitting for a Real Madrid superstar, escalating the dispute from a contested report into a direct confrontation between the player and one of Spain’s prominent sports broadcasts.
The controversy coincided with Mbappé’s absence due to a hyperextended left knee sustained while on international duty with France—an injury with an estimated recovery time of 10 to 12 days. Granted permission by Real Madrid to follow an active rest program, he subsequently returned to Valdebebas to train individually ahead of the upcoming clash against Villarreal.
The off-field noise comes despite a strong start to the season for the Frenchman, who scored 7 goals in his first 7 La Liga appearances this campaign after ending the previous season with 42 goals for Real Madrid and 16 for France.
