Kylian Mbappe’s long-awaited arrival at Real Madrid sparked joyous reactions in the Spanish press and among the club’s fans on Tuesday, although the French star knows he must live up to his worth on the pitch.
The official announcement of the 15-time Champions League winner’s latest signing on Monday was a seismic event in Madrid. After seven years of rumors and expectations, Mbappé finally arrived at “(his) dream club”.
“What did you dream of”, proclaimed the front page of Marca, alongside a photo edit of Mbappé wearing the Real Madrid shirt, in response to the 25-year-old’s post on social media, in which he referred to the move as “ a dream that came true”. “.
“Mbappé finally”, said sports daily AS, which celebrated “another galactic” in Real’s squad, following the much-heralded signings of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo at the beginning of the 21st century.
Popular radio station Cadena COPE called Mbappe “the icing on the cake that has been in the making for many years, thanks to the fantastic management” of Real president Florentino Perez.
Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas took to social media to welcome Mbappe to “the best club in the world”, adding: “The road to the 16 (Champions League trophies) starts with you.”
Speaking publicly for the first time since the news broke, Mbappe said during Tuesday’s press conference ahead of France’s pre-Euro 2024 friendly against Luxembourg that he felt “liberated, relieved” with his move to Madrid.
“It’s an immense pleasure and a dream come true. This is the club I always dreamed of being at. I go there with a lot of emotion and a lot of humility.
“I would like to thank the people who sent me so many messages,” added the French captain.
– ‘Prove yourself’ –
Outside the club’s official store in the center of Madrid, Zein Mroueh, a 52-year-old French fan, said he believed Mbappe “arrived at the right time”, but that “he will have to start running because he is entering another stage of his life”.
Despite the warm reception he has received so far, Mbappé is under no illusions that he will reinforce his reputation as one of the best players in the world on the pitch in front of the Madrid fans.
“He is a great recruit, an immense player. But here he will be just another player in Real’s great history,” Luis Cáceres, president of the Penas federation (Real fans’ groups), told AFP.
“No player is bigger than Real Madrid. From the first minute he will have to prove his worth, play football and show us his qualities. here whistling for Zidane, whistling for Cristiano…
“With what happened two years ago when he decided to extend his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, Kylian needs to know that he has his work cut out for him. that now he is at the club he loves”, added Cáceres.
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