Spanish football was eagerly anticipating the arrival of one of the biggest stars on the international stage, Kylian Mbappé. The signing of the French forward by Real Madrid caused a first-class media and sporting impact. Fans and the press expected that, with his arrival, the white team would take a leap in quality to remain at the top of European and national football after years in which the club had dominated the major tournaments.
However, the white team's season has fallen far short of meeting all expectations. Although Real Madrid started as the favorite in every competition, the results haven't followed, and the team has experienced moments of certain instability in collective play. The pressure and media spotlight have inevitably focused on the French forward, whose adaptation has been marked by the demand to be decisive in every match and by the scrutiny of his performances, especially in key games.
Debate on individual and collective performance
In this context, the balance of the campaign is bittersweet for the Madrid club. While the team hasn't achieved the major titles it was seeking, the forward has managed spectacular numbers in his first season in Spain, becoming the top scorer in LaLiga and European Golden Boot winner. His goal-scoring performance, with 31 goals in the Spanish league and 42 overall in all competitions, has allowed him to shine on an individual level, something that hasn't always gone hand in hand with collective success.
There has been an intense debate surrounding his numbers. For some, the Frenchman has been the only great news in a year marked by disappointment on the big stages, and many see in him the main reason to maintain hope for the future. In fact, there have been voices placing him as a candidate to win the Ballon d'Or, supported by his records and his prominence in the white team's attack. However, other sectors have questioned the true value of those numbers, suggesting that there are factors that may have inflated his goal tally.
Toni Freixa's critical analysis and the refereeing controversy
The most forceful criticism has come from the blaugrana sphere. Toni Freixa, former FC Barcelona executive and regular panelist on sports programs, hasn't hesitated to focus on the French forward's season and, above all, on the reliability of his records. In one of his television appearances on El Chiringuito, Freixa stated that the striker's season had been better than Real Madrid's itself, precisely because the white club had performed well below expectations. Nevertheless, he pointed out that it couldn't be described as an outstanding individual performance, considering the expectations caused and the magnitude of the signing.
Freixa pointed directly to two issues that, in his view, have distorted the perception of the striker's performance. On one hand, the number of penalties awarded to Real Madrid this season, which would have allowed the forward to significantly boost his statistics. On the other hand, the refereeing controversy surrounding the sanction for a foul committed against Getafe, where the Frenchman only served a one-match suspension despite many calling for a harsher punishment.