Real Madrid forward chased his teammates to the locker room with the runner-up medals in hand.
Even though Kylian Mbappe returned to the pitch in the second half despite struggling with a knee injury, he wasn’t able to make much impact. Still, he found himself at the center of discussion after the match. Mbappe reportedly rushed his Real Madrid teammates to the locker room with the runner-up medals—a gesture that did not sit well with Barcelona.
On Sunday in Jeddah, Real Madrid lost 3-2 in the Spanish Super Cup final.
During the runner-up medal ceremony, the champions Barcelona provided a guard of honor. One by one, Mbappe and his teammates received their medals.
When it came time for Barcelona to take their medals, Real Madrid did not give them a guard of honor. In fact, most of the team hadn’t even stood up until the ceremony. According to Spanish media, Mbappe reportedly chased his teammates to the locker room at least three times.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken out about the incident. He told RAC1 that this behavior was completely unacceptable.
“I was surprised by his actions. Whether you win or lose, you have to be generous and respectful. It’s a game, and you must behave appropriately here,” he said.
“I think we were generous in victory and respectful toward the opposing team. That’s why I don’t understand this behavior from him.”
Laporta added context from last October, when Real Madrid won the first Clasico of the season. After that match at Santiago Bernabeu, tensions flared between the two teams, which could explain lingering reactions.
“In the league match, the atmosphere was different. The players were excited, which is understandable. Honestly, I didn’t see Mbappe’s actions on the field, but I can imagine it was a very tough moment. They were obviously very frustrated, which explains this kind of reaction.”
