Real Madrid vs. Barca: While Mbappe is preoccupied with romance.

Real Madrid entered the crucial El Clásico match against Barca amidst a lot of controversy, from internal clashes to Kylian Mbappe's preoccupation with his love life.

The Mbappe Paradox

Kylian Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid as a future king. The Bernabeu opened its doors to him with the light reserved for the greatest "Galacticos".

But after almost two seasons, the story surrounding the French striker has gradually taken on more of a celebrity tragedy than a pure footballing triumph.

This weekend (2 AM on May 11th), El Clásico at Camp Nou could decide the entire season. If Real Madrid don't win, Barcelona will officially be crowned La Liga champions.

Mbappe spends a lot of time with his new girlfriend. Photo: EFE/Marca

Mbappe's participation is uncertain due to a hamstring injury. At a time when he should be the center of "Los Blancos'" hopes, he's instead surrounded by off-field stories, involving his new girlfriend Ester Exposito and a vacation in Italy.

This led to criticism from Madridistas, and revived the never-fading memory of "Stockholm Night".

That's Mbappe's biggest paradox at Madrid. He still scores a lot of goals, with impressive numbers. But the feeling of being a king leading the 'Galacticos' empire has yet to emerge.

Real Madrid doesn't measure a player by the number of goals scored, but by the nights spent in the Champions League, by the major titles won, and by their ability to transform the Bernabeu into their own stage.

Up until now, Mbappe hasn't achieved that. Even more ironically, PSG – the team he left to pursue the Champions League – won the European title in his first season without him.

Now, the Paris team has reached the Champions League final for the second consecutive time, while Real Madrid, conversely, has had another disappointing season since Mbappe arrived.

In Paris, many say that PSG only truly became a cohesive team when Mbappe was gone – Luis Enrique even hinted at this. It might be a subjective observation, but it clearly reflects the immense pressure weighing on the French striker.

Instead of being talked about for football, Mbappe is increasingly appearing in the media as an entertainment figure.

Obsessed with love

The romance with Ester Exposito initially started as harmless rumors. But then a trip to Sardinia amidst Real Madrid's crisis caused everything to explode.

Images of Mbappe appearing on the Italian beach with his new girlfriend while recovering from injury immediately sparked outrage. Madridistas saw what they disliked most: a big star enjoying his personal life while the team was under pressure due to poor results.

Perhaps Mbappe did nothing wrong according to regulations. Real Madrid confirmed his recovery schedule was medically monitored. But at the Bernabeu, emotions always outweigh paperwork.

Cristiano Ronaldo used to party hard, but he still scored hat-tricks in the Champions League. Mbappe currently lacks that kind of "winning shield."

Therefore, every scandal is exaggerated. And behind it all is still the shadow of Stockholm. The 2024 Swedish rape investigation against the striker was ultimately suspended due to lack of evidence.

Mbappe was not prosecuted, not brought to trial, and not convicted. But in the age of social media, escaping legal responsibility does not mean escaping public judgment.

Mbappe's vacation with Exposito has angered his teammates. Photo: RS

That was the turning point that shattered the image of the "golden boy" of French football .

Since his departure from Stockholm, every aspect of Mbappe's private life has been scrutinized under a microscope, from where he goes, who he dates, who he parties with, where he stays, and who he appears with in public.

Therefore, Exposito's trip to Italy was no longer just a romantic affair. The story was seen as a symbol of distraction, of a star increasingly resembling a Hollywood actor rather than a football leader.

Real Madrid has no patience for such idols. This is the place where even Ronaldo (the Brazilian one) and David Beckham (the Brazilian one) were booed, as were Gareth Bale. At the Bernabeu, glory only exists when it's accompanied by victory.

What's frightening for Mbappe is that the season isn't over yet, but a sense of failure has already set in, especially with the added incident involving Aurelien Tchouameni's altercation with Federico Valverde.

If Barca win La Liga, Mbappe will enter the summer with an unpleasant reality. “Kiki” came to Madrid to conquer Europe, but what people talk about most about him is the Stockholm scandal, his new girlfriend, and his holiday in Italy.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/mbappe-dinh-tin-don-yeu-duong-dien-vien-ester-exposito-2495742.html