Real Madrid News
Former Barcelona defender takes aim at Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe over Ballon d’Or claim: ‘Not up to him’
Former Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has taken aim at Kylian Mbappe’s latest Ballon d’Or comments, arguing that the Real Madrid forward should concentrate on performances rather than deciding who deserves football’s biggest individual prize.
Mbappe recently said that, if he had a vote for the Ballon d’Or, he would choose himself.
Umtiti was asked about those remarks during an appearance on RMC’s ‘After Foot’ (h/t Mundo Deportivo) and questioned whether the player should be involved in determining his own standing in the race.
Umtiti questions Mbappe’s approach
Umtiti acknowledged Mbappe’s confidence but suggested there are limits to how far that self-belief should go when discussing individual awards.
“Mbappe is a self-assured person. You could say it’s not really his place to talk about who deserves the award.
“He should focus on what happens on the pitch,” said Umtiti.
The former France international then pointed to Mbappe’s impressive numbers while insisting that statistics alone should not settle the debate.
“Everyone has seen that he’s scored lots of goals and performed well at certain times, but if you ask him, ‘Who do you think will win the Ballon d’Or?’, in the end he will tell you that he deserves it.
“And it’s not up to him to decide the winner.”
Ballon d’Or has lost its meaning
Umtiti’s criticism extended beyond Mbappe.
The former Barcelona defender also questioned the direction of the Ballon d’Or itself, arguing that the award has become too focused on individual achievement.
“I don’t even watch the ceremony. For strikers, winning the Ballon d’Or is incredible. This ceremony has lost all its meaning.
“It’s very damaging to football, which is very much a team sport. People think far more about winning the Ballon d’Or than about team awards,” he stated.
For Umtiti, the emphasis on personal statistics has come at the expense of football’s collective nature.
“You can win the Champions League with your team and still only think of yourself.
“Let’s talk about statistics again – and that’s not enough. Football isn’t just about statistics,” continued Umtiti.
Messi-Ronaldo era changed the debate
Umtiti believes the Ballon d’Or conversation was influenced differently during the dominant years of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Since the Messi-Ronaldo era, I don’t even look at that trophy anymore.
“They had incredible statistics, and if they didn’t win a major title, it didn’t really matter because their season was incredible.
“Now, there isn’t necessarily one great player who stands out above the rest,” he concluded.
Real Madrid youngster Endrick continues to attract interest from several clubs ahead of another potential loan move in the upcoming January transfer window.
The latest side considering a move for the Brazilian forward is Aston Villa.
Indeed, according to reports relayed by Bernabeu Digital, the Premier League club are interested in signing the Real Madrid striker on loan in January.
No minutes for Endrick
Endrick has had very limited opportunities under Jose Mourinho this season. Across Real Madrid’s nine matches in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, the Brazilian has played just four minutes, coming on in the 86th minute against Elche.
Such limited playing time has left the young forward struggling to gain the minutes and experience needed to develop his talent at Real Madrid.
As such, another loan move, like last January when he left for Olympique Lyon, could offer him a chance to play more regularly and continue his progression.
Aston Villa, managed by Unai Emery, have now emerged as an interested party to acquire the Brazilian international’s services on loan for the second half of the season.
AC Milan also interested in Endrick
Howver, Aston Villa are not the only club monitoring Endrick’s situation. AC Milan have also renewed their interest in the Brazilian forward.
The Rossoneri already held an interest in the 20-year-old forward during the summer transfer window and are knocking on the doors once again now.
In fact, some reports in Italy even go on to suggest that the youngster is ready to pounce on the opportunity to sign for the Serie A giants.
For now, however, there have been no concrete developments or formal approaches from any interested club.
Real Madrid are understood to be open to allowing Endrick to leave on loan, but they are not considering a permanent sale as they still have a lot of faith in the promising attacker whom they signed from Palmeiras.
With Aston Villa and AC Milan both interested, the coming months could prove important in determining where the young Brazilian will continue his development.
