Kylian Mbappé is in the crosshairs of the press and Real Madrid fans for his holiday in Sardinia. And, according to press reports, even some of his teammates are.

The Real Madrid phenomenon treated himself to a couple of days of relaxation on the island, and photos of him with his girlfriend Ester Exposito in a club in the Castle went viral and caused a stir in Spain.

In a city seething with tension, frustrated by a season that sees the 'Blancos' already out of the Champions League and 11 points behind league leaders Barcelona, the fans did not look favourably on the short holiday on the island of the transalpine star, during his injury break.

A decision that was not at all appreciated by the more demanding fringes of the fans, who started a petition on social media urging a divorce from the striker, complete with an image showing Mbappé with the words 'Fuera' ('Out') written on his face.

The player's entourage released a statement saying that the criticism "stems from an excessive interpretation of elements relating to a recovery period strictly managed by the club, without reflecting the reality of Kylian's daily commitment and his work for the team."

Mbappé has meanwhile returned to work preparing for next Sunday's El Clasico, a match Real Madrid must win to save face. The club is on their star player's side, including president Florentino Perez. Perhaps not coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who released a statement widely interpreted as a criticism of the Frenchman: "We didn't build Real Madrid with players who play in tuxedos, but with players who finish matches with shirts covered in sweat and mud."

(Unioneonline/L)

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