Not even the free-scoring Frenchman is exempt from criticism following the humiliating defeat to Benfica
Real Madrid’s 4-2 Champions League defeat away to Benfica has triggered sharp criticism from within the club’s own past, with legendary former player Predrag Mijatović blaming a lack of leadership for a loss that pushed the Spanish side out of the competition’s top eight, with top scorer Kylian Mbappé‘s broader role questioned.
The setback in Portugal, against a Benfica side coached by José Mourinho, has deepened concern in Madrid over a team packed with elite talent but struggling to produce convincing performances or consistent results.
The defeat has prompted renewed debate about whether the current squad, despite its quality, is missing something more fundamental.
Appearing on Cadena SER’s El Larguero, Mijatović delivered a blunt assessment of what he saw in Lisbon.
“Benfica were far superior. I immediately realised that they were a better, smarter, faster, and more motivated opponent,” he said.
Mijatović added that there was little encouragement to take from the performance itself, noting that “he saw nothing to hold on to despite the poor result, nor did he see that the team knew how to play”.
🏃♂️Other managers have to push their players to put in the hard yards.
😁 With Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid boss Álvaro Arbeloa has to do the opposite.https://t.co/FEyGUNiwlq #rmfc #UCL #BENRMA
— BBSportNews (@thebbsportnews) January 28, 2026
Mijatović questions Mbappé leadership virtues
Despite the growing pressure on Álvaro Arbeloa, Mijatović was clear that responsibility does not lie with the coach or the club’s hierarchy.
Instead, he argued that the players themselves must confront uncomfortable questions about their collective response in difficult moments.
“We have to start asking ourselves if a coach can fix this. It is not the president’s fault: I think the players will have to wake up a bit and ask themselves how they can improve,” he said.
Despite Kylian Mbappé’s status and goals, Mijatović insisted that being the standout player does not automatically make someone a leader.
“I think that more than a lack of players, there is a lack of a leader,” he noted.
“I don’t know, someone like Sergio Ramos, [Luka] Modrić, [Karim] Benzema, Fernando Hierro… In a game like yesterday’s, I don’t see a leader, someone who the camera focuses on and who is giving instructions.
“Mbappé is not a leader, he is a great footballer… You know that [Zinedine] Zidane was never a leader in the French national team, it was [Didier] Deschamps or [Laurent] Blanc. He was the best player, but not the leader. All of Mbappé’s goals do not make him a leader.
“Being a leader is something else: it can be a football player with less quality, but who has personality and character, who is the coach on the field and someone the players listen to. In our case, it was Fernando Hierro.
“And when Hierro was in a game, when things were going badly, he would tell you what to do, and you did it. You didn’t say, ‘well, it’s okay’. The current Real Madrid doesn’t have a leader who, in difficult moments, grabs you by the collar and says, ‘what are you doing?’”