Santi Canizares Defends Mbappe Amid Bicycle Controversy

A social media clip of Kylian Mbappe riding a bicycle during an approved vacation has sparked intense backlash from Real Madrid and France supporters. The French forward was recently spotted in Paris with his partner after being relieved from national team duty, with his time away reportedly approved by the club and Jose Mourinho.

Despite being back in Madrid for his recovery, the footage generated substantial media scrutiny and fan criticism. However, former Spain and Real Madrid goalkeeper Santi Canizares has strongly defended the player in a recent interview via Defensa Central, dismissing the outrage surrounding the bicycle controversy.

Canizares Defends the Bicycle Clip

Canizares expressed bewilderment at the public reaction to the short video clip, questioning why critics were heavily scrutinizing a normal personal activity.

Let’s rule one thing out: maybe Mbappe only rode his bike for 100 meters. It’s just mind-boggling, this whole bike thing, Canizares stated. He’s riding a mountain bike, but he might just be going from the hotel to the pool.

The former player further criticized the public for blowing a minor moment out of proportion, adding, It seems to me that people are making a huge deal out of this bike thing – really, completely.

Drawing on National Team Experience

To put the backlash into perspective, Canizares highlighted instances where cycling was a regular part of professional routines during major international duties.

He recalled, We, on the Spanish national team, had a day—during a training camp in the Netherlands—when we rode our bikes to the training field, which was a kilometre away. He also noted that The Spanish national team players also rode bikes around New York two days before the final.

Return to Action

Following his recovery and the international break, Mbappe is expected to return to the pitch for Real Madrid in their upcoming fixture against Villarreal. Observers note that his performances following his return from injury will be vital in winning back the favour of the supporters.