On nights like the one in Athens, when the stadium is emptying and only the echo of the goals survives, there are footballers who carry much more than a ball. Kylian Mbappe left with the ball from the poker under his arm, the MVP trophy in his hand... and a message that weighed even more than his four goals. He was the firm voice that Real Madrid needed after weeks of rumours and internal tensions. The Frenchman, without trembling, set the course for a dressing room that was hit by the external noise and the spotlight on his relationship with Xabi Alonso. "On the boat there may be times when there is wind, but no one is going to jump. We are all together and united to win," he said. A phrase that became a compass. Mbappé channels his inner Brazilian in front of Vini's Control the narrative and close ranks The statement was not just a simple dressing room headline. It was the image of a leader standing at the entrance of the Thermopylae of the media noise to protect his own. On the pitch, Mbappe has already done his part: 22 of Madrid's 40 goals bear his signature, but in front of the press he also wanted to assume an equally decisive role. https://twitter.com/USER_ID/status/1993820479631835154 His goal was clear: to control the narrative, shield the group and reduce turbulence. "There are things we need to improve... We have to protect the players, the coach and all the people in the squad because we are all together," he said. "The goal now is for Madrid fans to feel that we are united and rowing in the same direction." The team's armor: leadership from the voice and from the goal The most forceful moment of the night came when he faced the eternal label that haunts teams with a great goalscoring star: the famous Mbappe-dependence. The figures feed it: 22 of Real Madrid's 40 goals bear his stamp, 55% of the total. But Kylian dismantled the concept with maturity and protection towards his teammates. https://twitter.com/USER_ID/status/1993817607720587667 "Everyone has their job. Mine is to score goals... but without the others we don't win. I don't think there is dependence; it's more a thing for journalists or people from outside," he replied, taking the pressure off the rest of the squad. The final blow to the debate And to close, he launched a phrase that sounded like a slam in the debate. "You don't have to say Mbappe dependence. You have to say that Kylian is one of the responsible because we have not won because my job is to score goals. In the end, that's it: you don't have to say dependence, you have to come and say that Kylian has not scored and that Kylian has to score". Thus, with goals and words, Mbappe once again proved that he is more than just a striker. He is the natural leader, the team's shield and the voice that sets the tone in the dressing room. He is the Leonidas of a Madrid side that, in the midst of a storm, found in him its firmest shield.
