Talk about Ronaldo, not Mbappe — Why Mourinho slammed Madrid journalists

Jose Mourinho has criticised the media for its coverage of Kylian Mbappe’s situation at Real Madrid, arguing that journalists have overlooked bigger football stories, including Manchester City’s financial-rule case and Cristiano Ronaldo’s fallout with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus.

The Real Madrid manager described the scrutiny of Mbappe as “ridiculous” ahead of Saturday’s LALIGA clash against Villarreal, defending the French forward over reports about his activities during recovery from a knee injury.

“Mbappé case? What media did is ridiculous. Not even massive stories like the City case or the tricky situation in my country involving Cristiano and his coach. There are so many stories that could fuel your work, yet that wasn't enough,” Mourinho said.

The Portuguese coach was responding to questions about reports that Mbappe had visited a venue in Paris and gone cycling in Switzerland while recovering from a left knee injury sustained during France’s 1-0 Nations League victory over Turkey on September 25.

Mourinho rejected the criticism, explaining that Mbappe had undergone medical scans before consulting a specialist in France because of his previous knee problems.

He also disputed the description of the Paris visit as a nightclub outing, saying it was a private Fashion Week event, while the cycling took place at a hotel where guests could use bicycles to reach communal areas.

The latest controversy follows separate reports claiming Mbappe was unhappy with Real Madrid’s failure to publicly support his Ballon d’Or ambitions.

The 26-year-old responded sarcastically to a Radio Marca report on Instagram, joking: “Yes, yes… I even got angry with my great aunt too!”

The report had suggested Mbappe wanted the club to campaign for him during the Ballon d’Or race, with his attitude during the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid cited as a possible sign of frustration.

Mbappe’s response mocked the speculation, although it did not address the separate criticism surrounding his conduct during injury recovery.

Mourinho deflected by referencing Manchester City’s recent guilty verdict in the Premier League’s financial-rule case. 

An independent commission found the club guilty of serious financial breaches covering the 2009/10 to 2017/18 seasons, as well as most of the charges relating to its failure to cooperate with the investigation.

City deny wrongdoing and lodged an appeal on October 1, leaving the final outcome and any potential sanctions unresolved.

The manager also highlighted the dispute involving Ronaldo, who left Portugal’s national team camp after a disagreement with Jesus over his omission from the team’s 2-1 victory against Norway.

Ronaldo later accused the coach of breaking his word over an expected 30-minute appearance and a subsequent agreement to clarify the situation publicly. Jesus denied making the alleged agreement, while Ronaldo apologised for leaving the camp and failing to greet supporters.

Mourinho’s comments come as Real Madrid prepare to host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, October 10.

Madrid are fourth in LALIGA with 15 points from seven matches, six behind leaders Barcelona, who have collected 21 points.

Mbappe has returned to training after his knee injury, and is expected to be available for the clash after Mourinho boasted about the improved health and fitness of Real Madrid players this season.