International break criticism of Mbappe ‘ridiculous’ — Mourinho

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has dismissed criticism of Kylian Mbappe for his activities during the international break as "ridiculous." Mbappe withdrew from France's national team following an injury he sustained against Turkey on September 25, but later faced attention for sharing images of himself attending a Paris Fashion Week event and riding a bicycle.

Despite Mourinho's previous statement that cycling was not allowed, he defended the French captain, asserting that Real Madrid's players had fulfilled their obligations to the club during the break. Mourinho emphasized that all Real Madrid players completed what was expected of them during the international break, adding, "When it comes to Real Madrid, it’s always different."

Mourinho further clarified that players who fail to meet the club's expectations would be held accountable. He promised that any Real Madrid player who does not behave as a Real Madrid player and ceases to be one for 24 hours would not be allowed on the bench, instead staying at home. Mourinho also addressed speculation that Mbappe had acted irresponsibly due to images of him riding a bicycle in Switzerland.

He explained that bicycles were provided for guests at his hotel complex to use for short trips. When asked if the coverage of Mbappe had been exaggerated, Mourinho replied, "Exaggerated, no — I think it was ridiculous." He also stated that Mbappe's participation in Real Madrid's next match would indicate that he had met his responsibilities to the club.