A new battle at Real Madrid... Mbappe explodes and Arbeloa denies it
French international star Kylian Mbappe confirmed, after being excluded from the starting lineup for his team Real Madrid's match against Oviedo in the Spanish Football League on Thursday, that Alvaro Arbeloa, the team's coach, informed him that he is the fourth striker in the ranks of the Royal Club. Arbeloa appeared surprised by Mbappe's comments and denied having told him about it, saying he did not know why the French captain felt this way. Mbappe, who was suffering from a left hamstring injury, explained that he was ready to start against Oviedo, but Arbeloa decided not to include him. Mbappe said: "I'm perfectly fine. I didn't play because the coach told me I'm the fourth-choice striker after Franco Mastantonu, Vinicius Junior, and Gonzalo Garcia. I accept that." He added: "I was ready to start, and it was his decision. You can't be angry with the coach; you should always respect his opinion. I will continue to work hard and wait for my turn to be the starting striker." For his part, Arbeloa later stated that he never told Mbappé he was the team's fourth-choice striker, saying: "I don't have four strikers, and I didn't say anything like that to Mbappé. Perhaps he didn't understand what I meant. I really don't know what to say. I never told him he was the fourth-choice striker." The dispute between Arbeloa and Mbappe is the latest chapter in a turbulent week for Real Madrid, which began with a verbal altercation between the players during training, prompting the club to fine both Uruguayan Federico Valverde and Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros ($589,000). Then came the 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona in El Clasico last Sunday, which allowed the Catalan team to clinch the Spanish league title this season. Last Tuesday, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called for new elections after claiming he was the victim of an "organized campaign" to oust him. Mbappe was booed by Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium after coming on as a substitute for Garcia in the 68th minute. He provided a crucial assist for his English teammate Jude Bellingham's goal in the 79th minute of the match, which ended with a 2-0 victory for the Whites. Mbappe had been criticized by some fans who accused him of saving his energy for the upcoming World Cup, and during his recovery from injury, the player reportedly traveled to Italy with actress Ester Expósito, prompting criticism in the Spanish media that he might not be taking his rehabilitation program seriously. For his part, Mbappe downplayed the significance of his departure, saying: "I received permission from the club to leave Madrid. I wasn't the only one, but we have to accept it and move on. I can easily change this situation." Mbappe has yet to live up to the expectations placed on him as a big-money signing for Real Madrid two seasons ago. The club has not won a major trophy since he joined from Paris Saint-Germain.
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