Mbappe Accused of Poisoning Madrid Dressing Room After Bayern Humiliation

Kylian Mbappe stands accused of infecting Real Madrid's dressing room with self-interest in the aftermath of their Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The criticism comes courtesy of Petit, the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder, who pulled no punches when assessing the forward's impact at the Bernabeu. Yet the Frenchman also points the finger elsewhere for Madrid's European collapse.

Real Madrid's season has spiralled since January, when Xabi Alonso was shown the door following a Spanish Super Cup defeat to Barcelona. Reports suggested squad members had grown restless over team selection and tactical decisions. Florentino Perez wasted little time drafting in Alvaro Arbeloa as replacement, but the damage appears done. Madrid now trail Barcelona by nine points in La Liga whilst their European campaign lies in ruins.

Mbappe's recent performances have drawn particular scrutiny. The 24-year-old returned from injury for the Bayern encounter but has managed just one draw in four matches since his comeback, with Madrid losing three of those games.

Speaking on RMC Sport, Petit delivered his verdict: "It's not solely Mbappe's fault. But his arrival filled the Real Madrid dressing room with selfishness. It's a fiasco."

The contrast with his former club proved particularly galling for the pundit. PSG, liberated from Mbappe's presence, have rediscovered their collective identity. "Since PSG have been playing like a team, they have been phenomenal," Petit observed. "They are all united, like the fingers of a hand."

However, Petit reserved his harshest criticism for midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. The Frenchman's dismissal with just four minutes remaining—whilst Madrid remained competitive—proved the decisive blow. "If anyone needs to be blamed, it's Camavinga," Petit stated bluntly. "His foul was catastrophic."

The red card came at the 86th minute, a moment when Madrid's hopes still flickered. Whilst Petit acknowledged the decision was harsh, he noted that referee Slavko Vincic was merely enforcing the rulebook. "Real always hide behind the referee's performance," he added pointedly.

Not everyone shares Petit's assessment of Mbappe's culpability. Radio Marca's Sergio Valentin stepped forward in defence of the Madrid forward, arguing that singling him out represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the club's deeper malaise.

"Kylian Mbappe put in a lot of defensive work against Bayern Munich," Valentin explained. "But the question is: did Real Madrid win? When the team's problems are reduced to Mbappe not defending, it seems as though all the blame is being placed on him alone, whereas the truth is that this is not the crux of the problem."

Valentin tempered his support with pragmatism, acknowledging that "Mbappe, like every player, has strengths and weaknesses, and no one is immune to criticism within the team."