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Mbappe has been told what to do amid growing tensions over his preferred position.
In a candid interview on El Chiringuito de Jugones, former Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema shared his thoughts on Kylian Mbappé’s recent struggles at Madrid.
Now playing for Al Ittihad, Benzema offered Mbappé a tough-love solution, suggesting he lets go of the left wing and embraces a new role as Madrid’s undisputed no.9.
"The problem for me is that Mbappé is not a center forward. Whenever he plays as a '9' for France, he doesn't perform well; that's not his position," Benzema said as per BeIN Sports.
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The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner further advised Mbappé to forget about the left wing and focus on being a striker, stating, "He has to get it into his head that he needs to be a '9' and forget about the left. He's been great on the left, but now he has to excel in a different role."
Benzema: Madrid is a whole new level of pressure
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Benzema did not sugarcoat the challenges of playing for Real Madrid, especially after Mbappé’s glittering career at PSG.
The pressure, according to Benzema, is amplified at Madrid, and learning to thrive under scrutiny is crucial.
The Al-Ittihad star believes that at 25, Mbappé is in a different situation and must be mentally prepared to face the intense demands of the Bernabéu.
"My situation in my first year and Kylian's is different. I was 21 years old, and he is 25; it’s not the same. He knows there’s a lot of pressure at Real Madrid. If you don’t score in two or three matches, they’ll kill you. He needs to learn to live with that pressure."
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Finally, Benzema made it clear he believes Vinícius is “the best in the world” in his position, and it is unlikely Ancelotti would displace the Brazilian to cater to Mbappé.
With Benzema’s advice now in the open, all eyes are on Mbappé to see if he’ll embrace the center-forward role or continue to face positional tensions with Vinícius at Real Madrid.
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