Former Barcelona forward slams Kylian Mbappe’s critics and names six players not good enough for Real Madrid

Former France World Cup winner Christoph Dugarry has defended countryman Kylian Mbappe from criticism and highlighted six of his Real Madrid team-mates who he believes are “not up to par”.

Mbappe has looked a shadow of his usual self in recent games and is reportedly struggling with a knee injury. That has led to some pundits questioning his desire at the Santiago Bernabeu but Dugarry says the focus should be switched elsewhere.

“I find it quite surprising that Real Madrid’s problems are due solely to Mbappé. At some point we have to stop exaggerating,” he told the Rothen s’enflame programme. “If the Spaniards no longer want him, let them return him. Maybe he’ll leave and make someone else happy, I don’t know. But I find it quite surprising, honestly.”

Kylian Mbappe stats this season

Too many Real Madrid players are overrated

Dugarry came through at Bordeaux before short spells at AC Milan and Barcelona – and used his own experiences to highlight his point about Real Madrid.

He added: “I think there are too many players in this Real Madrid squad who are not Real Madrid players. They are overrated, I’m sorry. I have also had the opportunity to play in great clubs. In Barcelona, I didn’t wear the shirt much, and there’s a reason for that too…”

There were a few surprises in the sextet of players named by Dugarry as not being good enough for Madrid, including two France midfielders and a Uruguay international widely regarded as being among the club’s best players.

“These are clubs that aspire to the stars, they are the best, and I think there are players who are not up to par,” he said. “They have been there for a long time, I think of [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Arda] Güler, [Federico] Valverde, [Aurelien] Tchouaméni… [Raul] Asencio, who came out of nowhere and became a starter because there were a lot of injuries. He showed himself to be a good player, but he is not a Real Madrid centre half. [David] Alaba is injured and only plays one week every three months; he is not at that level.”

You have to prove yourself at Real Madrid

Madrid have garnered a reputation for picking up Europe’s best players on free transfers – Mbappe, for example – but Dugarry says that is not the way a top club should operate.

He said: “I have the impression that they signed many players whose contracts were about to expire because they had fewer resources available. When you play in clubs like that, you have to prove that you are a great player for a season, lead your team, be decisive; that is the difference between the level we experience daily in our national leagues and that of Real Madrid.

“You can’t spend two, three or four years in a club like this and always play at the same level, with a good game, a mediocre game, a game here, a game there… There are too many players who are too inconsistent.”