Former Real Madrid player and sporting director Predrag Mijatović believes fans’ support for the duo of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior have diminished.
Kylian Mbappe delivered a standout debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu, netting 44 goals in 59 matches across all competitions for Real Madrid. However, despite his individual brilliance, the club ended the campaign without any domestic silverware and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage following a defeat to Arsenal.
Vinicius Junior, on the other hand, experienced a dip in form, scoring only 22 goals in 58 appearances. Real Madrid legend Predrag Mijatovic believes this decline may have affected his relationship with the fans, which was much stronger just a few seasons ago.
According to the Montenegrin, fans support for the Brazilian winger has diminished in recent years, while the French superstar may be feeling frustrated due to unmet expectations on the pitch.
“When you have to renew the team and look for the new Modric, Kroos and Casemiro… you can’t remake the team in one summer. The team has to make several important decisions this summer,” he told the media.
“If Vinicius, Mbappe or Rodrygo are not happy and do not feel the support of the club, they cannot perform. I don’t know if the fans are as in love with Vinicius as they were two or three years ago, or if he has as much respect for them as he did then.
“I keep saying it, accumulating great players, with a lot of market value, is always counterproductive. You have an asset that’s worth a lot, but you don’t get the most out of it.
“As the months go by, the player isn’t happy, and you don’t know if you will be able to sell him the following year.”
