Kylian Mbappe says Real Madrid fans should boo ‘whole squad, not just a few players’

Kylian Mbappe has defended Real Madrid team-mates Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham after they were jeered during their win against Levante on Saturday, saying they should boo the “whole squad, not just a few players”.

Real Madrid are still a point behind Barcelona after the Catalan side suffered a shock defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday. On January 11, they lost the Supercopa de Espana final to Barca, after which former head coach Xabi Alonso was sacked and replaced by Alvara Arbeloa. Madrid then crashed out of the Copa del Rey in their following match at the hands of second-tier side Albacete.

“I understand the fans,” Mbappe said in a news conference on Monday. “Before I was a footballer, I used to watch football and when I was unhappy, I would speak badly about the players and boo them, so I understand.

“The only thing I didn’t like the other day was that they (should boo) the whole squad, not just a few players. If they have to boo, I understand, but they should boo the whole squad.

“They shouldn’t focus on one player. We are all in the same situation.”

Bellingham has registered five goals and four assists in all competitions this term after 15 each respectively last season, while Vinicius Jr has hit a patch of poor form.

Despite the fan reaction against Levante, the forward said he didn’t see the Madrid fans “against us”.

“They’re angry, but I’m sure they’ll come back to us,” he said, ahead of their Champions League fixture with Monaco on Tuesday.

The sentiment was echoed by new head coach Arbeloa, who admitted Madrid needed to show more.

“I know what the Bernabeu crowd is like, I’ve told the players. If there’s one thing the Bernabeu crowd is, it’s fair,” he said. “We have to show the kind of football that the fans like to see.”

Arbeloa also spoke in support of Vinicius Jr and Bellingham, saying they “need the fans to bring out the best in them”.

“Vinicius will be on the pitch whenever he’s available,” he said. “As the Madrid coach, if I want to have a chance of winning titles, I need Vinicius on the pitch. I think he needs the Bernabeu because he’s a guy with a huge heart, he’s emotional, he wants the fans on his side. I’d love to see the fans on his side, on the side of his players.

“They don’t have to do anything differently. The other day they worked hard, they had a great attitude, they were unstoppable. That’s the Vinicius and Bellingham we want to see.”

Madrid remain in the automatic qualifying positions in the Champions League, heading into their league-phase match against Monaco. They are seventh in the competition table, level on points with rivals Atletico Madrid and ninth-placed Liverpool, ahead of both on goal difference.

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