I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 930: Chapter 24: Alright, Alright, Alright—Here Comes Big Paris! (2)

These words sting, but they sting for good reason!

Back then, to keep Mbappe, they offered a 300 million signing fee and the privilege of being ”player and director.” And what was the result?

Neymar competed with him for ball control, the midfielders jokingly called ”The Wandering Squad,” and defense relied solely on ”eye contact marking.”

In 2023, when Bayern Munich crushed them, Mbappe’s nonchalant demeanor on the bench was nothing short of an insult to ”team football!”

But when he patted his backside and chased dreams to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain reflected bitterly: selling high-salary stars, in 2024, they stifled Real Madrid with ”tough defense!” What do you call this? This is called stars leaving and team spirit returning!

These dramas taught all owners playing capital football a vivid lesson: Football is a sport for 11 people, not a personal reality show!

Real Madrid’s brilliance lies in knowing ”the system is greater than the stars,” even for players like Chen Zhong, no one can dominate.

Why did Bellingham choose to come? Because he knows he doesn’t need to be a ”lone hero” here, just be a good successor, and the Champions League trophy will naturally come; Paris Saint-Germain’s awakening was realizing ”privilege doesn’t breed champions”—when Mbappe’s contract was thicker than the coach’s tactics board, the team had already fragmented in the locker room.

And speaking of Mbappe himself!

His career planning became a ”traffic game.”

One moment dreaming of playing for Real Madrid, another staying in Paris, then wanting to become ”top stream in football,” yet he forgot what he most needed to figure out was how to get the ball into the opponent’s goal!

Look at Chen Zhong’s performance in this aspect; it’s completely different. A true superstar never lets himself become a ”poison in the system.”

Mbappe, on the contrary, turned transfers into a ”palace drama,” resulting in no good outcome: Real Madrid fans accused him of ”too much drama,” Paris fans called him ”traitor,” was it worth it?

In the end, Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League, and also gained a...

Ultimately, football is still that purest game: You win by positioning, passing, and fighting with every tackle in defense.

Real Madrid and Paris proved with championships: Prestigious clubs with deep foundations don’t need traffic stars for glory; the ambitious new rich can’t let star privileges destroy the team’s foundation.

When Kylian Mbappe first donned the Real Madrid jersey, the world awaited the dawn of a new era.

However, in just one season, this superstar once hailed as the ”new king” presented a shocking report card: six eliminations at the hands of Barcelona’s young Yamal, five championship trophies slipped through his fingers, and deeply entangled in a scandal over rape accusations.

From Paris Saint-Germain’s darling to Real Madrid’s controversial focus, from France Team’s savior to the scapegoat for national league defeat, Mbappe’s aura is fading at an alarming rate.

Flipping through Mbappe’s 2024-2025 season calendar, almost every page is etched with the mark of failure.

European Cup semifinals, France Team was technically knocked down by Spain, Yamal’s arc shot ended the Gauls’ defense journey; first leg of the La Liga national derby, Real Madrid was thrashed 0-4 by Barcelona at home, Mbappe missed two one-on-ones in a single match.

Super Cup finals, Barcelona crushed Real Madrid 5-2, Yamal’s breakthrough left the Frenchman embarrassed; King’s Cup finals, Real Madrid lost 2-3 to their bitter rivals again, Mbappe’s equalizer was ruled offside; key league championship battle, Real Madrid narrowly lost 3-4 to Barcelona, completely losing hope to defend; European National League semifinals, France lost 4-5 to Spain, Yamal’s deadly shot in extra time became the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Five championships—European Cup, Super Cup, King’s Cup, La Liga, European National League—vanished in six direct encounters with Yamal. Real Madrid legend Carlos bluntly said: ”When your price exceeds the entire opponent team, such a collapse requires accountability.”

”If Chen were there, Chen would be responsible, but Chen isn’t there.”

”Of course, if Chen were there, the team wouldn’t be this way.”

Mbappe’s disastrous performance is no accident.

Barcelona defender Araujo, after shutting him down, taunted: ”Defending him is easier than training, just block the right side.” Data revealed the harsh truth:

In his career, only 8% of goals came from his left foot, with Champions League left-foot touches being less than 15% this season, Weak Foot ability almost paralyzed; La Liga back-to-goal success rate was 42%, far below Benzema’s career average of 61%, like an ”invisible man” in duels.

Average key passes were just 1.1, less than half of teammate Vinicius (2.8); despite being 1.78 meters tall, his header ability was weak, with only nine career header goals, none in La Liga this season.

Even more fatal was his physical energy gap.

During European Cup knockout stages, his shooting accuracy after 60 minutes dropped to 28%, missing an open goal against Portugal; in the second half of La Liga national derby, he wasted three great chances, only mechanically side-foot shooting when facing the goalkeeper.

Former France manager Deschamps privately complained: ”He’s like an F1 car that only sprints three laps.”

Mbappe’s controversies have long exceeded the field.

Former Paris Saint-Germain coach Enrique publicly criticized after the team eliminated Manchester City in the Champions League: ”Free from Mbappe’s extravagance, Paris Saint-Germain truly became a whole.”

Dembele’s 12-kilometer run in the finals contrasted with Mbappe’s lazy average of 8 kilometers per game in the Champions League.

Internal tensions brewed within Real Madrid.

Last season, Ancelotti couldn’t convince him to participate in defense, while new coach Xavi Alonso is known for ”no privilege football,” with Bayer Leverkusen players averaging over 110 kilometers. Locker room dissatisfaction spread: ”Why should the whole team pay for one person’s wandering?”

Off-field scandals were equally fatal.

In October 2024, Swedish media accused him of sexual assault in Stockholm, with police finding clothing as evidence.

Though the case was eventually dropped due to insufficient evidence, details revealed by lawyers were jaw-dropping—Mbappe requested bodyguards set up screens in hotel corridors to avoid being photographed.

His endorsement deal with France KFC collapsed, with the brand harshly criticizing: ”His capriciousness exceeds commercial limits.”

Looking back at Mbappe’s Paris Saint-Germain years, the ”poison” label was an early sign. He openly clashed over penalty rights with Neymar, shouting at training: ”Give me the ball!”; conflicted with Paredes over Free Kick rights, resulting in Paredes being cleared out during the winter transfer window; exchanged insults caught by broadcast cameras with Hakimi during matches for refusal to pass.

The most ironic case was Messi’s encounter.

When Messi returned to Paris Saint-Germain with the World Cup trophy in 2023, the club didn’t arrange any tribute ceremony, while Mbappe had flown to the United States to watch the NBA All-Star Game.

Spanish journalist Jeraldes revealed: ”Real Madrid internally viewed the rape accusation as Paris Saint-Germain’s revenge, but they didn’t anticipate Mbappe’s explosive personality would backfire on himself.”

Supporters pointed to the Swedish prosecutor’s decision to drop the charges, emphasizing that the law cleared his name; fans listed his 43 goals in a single season, arguing that criticism was too harsh.

But more voices pointed to the essential contradiction: When Haaland in Manchester City developed header and pivot abilities, Bellingham at Real Madrid transformed into an All-Powerful midfielder, Mbappe remained stagnant in his comfort zone.

Former Arsenal manager Wenger pinpointed the problem: ”Modern football requires forwards to engage in battle within the 30-meter area, but Mbappe’s tactical book only has the sprinting page.”

From Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid, from Deschamps to Alonso, coaches repeatedly emphasized ”unity,” which became the insurmountable wall for him. When the Yamal players used relentless running to tear open defenses, Mbappe’s star privilege was turning into the golden shackle binding him.

When knowing the opponent is Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe’s eyes first looked at Chen Zhong.

Chen Zhong read the longing in Mbappe’s eyes; he longed to be guided by a big shot.