Kylian Mbappe, the long-time target of Real Madrid, finally joined the club after a tumultuous departure from Paris Saint–Germain. While the French superstar was the crown jewel of the summer transfer window, not everything has gone according to plan for Mbappe at his new club.
Wearing the iconic No. 9 jersey, Mbappe made his highly anticipated debut and his first official matches with Los Blancos have already been marked by success. He helped Real Madrid win the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta in his first game, and did not have his dream LaLiga debut against Mallorca at the Son Moix stadium.
However, recent reports indicate that Mbappe’s request to take charge of free kicks for Real Madrid was denied by head coach Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager opted to assign those duties to Brazilian forward Rodrygo instead. Rodrygo has even been seen taking corner kicks in recent matches. Despite Mbappe’s efforts to fine-tune his free-kick technique, Ancelotti had already made his decision.
Who previously took free kicks for Real Madrid?
In recent years, Toni Kroos was renowned for his precision with free kicks at Real Madrid. However, with the German midfielder retiring after his participation in the UEFA European Championship, the club was left without its go-to player for set pieces.
Rodrygo of Real Madrid takes a free kick in the first half as team mate Toni Kroos looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Deportivo Alaves. Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Who will take penalty kicks?
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Unlike his time at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe will not be the designated penalty taker at Real Madrid. That role has been given to Vinicius Junior, another rising star. Despite this, reports from Spain suggest that Mbappe is content with his adaptation to his new team.
