The Brazilian forward was whistled by the Bernabéu crowd in Los Blancos’ win over Levante
Kylian Mbappé has stood by Vinícius Júnior and the rest of his Real Madrid teammates who were whistled before and during Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Levante.
The Bernabéu turned openly hostile, with Real Madrid players and executives greeted by sustained boos during the match against Levante as frustration over the club’s recent crisis spilled into the stands.
Supporters jeered the team bus as it arrived at the stadium, continued showing their disapproval during the warm-up, and repeated it when the players returned to the dressing room.
Once the match was underway, the reaction became more targeted. Vinícius and Jude Bellingham bore the brunt of the anger, both when their names were read out and throughout the ninety minutes.
Every touch from either player was met with whistles, an atmosphere rarely seen at Real Madrid’s home ground.
For many in the stands, the boos reflected deeper issues than one result. Sections of the crowd appeared to associate Vinícius and Bellingham with the breakdown in relations between the dressing room and former head coach Xabi Alonso, a rift that ultimately led to his dismissal. Combined with a string of poor performances, patience among supporters has worn thin.
Mbappé calls for shared responsibility
Ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash against his former side Monaco, Mbappé addressed the situation and moved to defend his teammates.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Mbappé acknowledged the supporters’ anger but urged unity rather than scapegoating.
“I understand people,” the Frenchman said. “Before I was a football player, I was a young guy who watched the games, and if I wasn’t happy, I whistled. That’s the only chance Real Madrid fans have. I didn’t like that they booed some players more than others. It’s the whole team’s fault. We have the character to change that. Real Madrid fans are angry, but they’re with us.”
The French forward was particularly firm in rejecting the idea that Vinícius should shoulder individual blame for the team’s struggles.
“It’s not Vinícius’ fault that we’re not playing the way we should,” he added. “It’s the fault of the whole squad. Madrid fans shouldn’t single out one player and boo him. We have to change the situation, and we know it. We’re going to do it.
“[Vinícius] is a person, a human being. It’s normal that it affects you. He’s a great player and an incredible man. We have to protect him better, myself included, so that he’s not alone. He’ll never be alone at Madrid. The whole club is behind him.”