Madrid fans turn on Mbappe with 250,000 signing a petition calling for him to go

Real Madrid fans have vented their fury at superstar signing Kylian Mbappe as the club prepare to surrender the LaLiga title to bitter rivals Barcelona during next week's El Clasico.

The Catalan giants sit 11 points clear at the summit of the Spanish top flight, and only avoiding a draw against Espanyol stopped Real Madrid from inadvertently crowning their old foes on this weekend.

As Los Blancos prepare to suffer just their second trophyless season since 2009-10, the ire of their supporters has been directed at the France captain, despite Mbappe being sidelined due to a muscular issue in his left leg.

Instead of taking in the Espanyol tie from the side lines, the World Cup winner opted to jet to Sardinia with his girlfriend, Spanish actress Ester Exposito, where they were snapped sunning themselves on a yacht.

On social media, fans began flooding X with graphics labeled 'fuera' or 'Mbappe out', with even his team-mates thought to feel that his decision to go on holiday at this juncture in the season had distanced him from the dressing room, as per AS.

In Spain, there is believed to be 'incomprehension' over Mbappe's Italian jaunt, despite Mbappe's return to training on Monday.

And a petition has been launched online calling for 'Mbappe out', reading: 'Madridistas, make your voice heard. If you believe change is needed, don't stay silent — sign this petition and stand for what you think is best for the club's future.'

The petition had 253,000 signatures by midday on Tuesday.

Outwardly however, Real's manager Alvaro Arbeloa was quick to defend his player, saying after the weekend's 2-0 victory that Mbappe had followed protocol.

'All planning regarding injured players is always overseen by Real Madrid's medical staff, who determine when they need to go to Valdebebas and when they don't,' he said. 'In his free time, Mbappe can do whatever he sees fit, like any other player.'

But as per L'Equipe, whether it was sanctioned or unsanctioned did not remove the sting of irritation felt by Mbappe's team-mates, with figures inside the Bernabeu said to be frustrated by his lack of discretion amid a troubling time in the campaign.

According to the French publication, Mbappe is already perceived to be receiving preferential treatment in the Spanish capital since his 2024 move from Paris Saint-Germain.

His choice to almost exclusively fraternise with his fellow Frenchmen in the team, and incidents such as delaying a team meal by turning up late are also thought to have marked him as 'overly individualistic'.

Last month, Daily Mail Sport reported that Mbappe had been accused by one former French national team star, Emmanuel Petit, as having 'filled Real Madrid's dressing room with selfishness'.

Further discord may have been sown two weeks ago, when Mbappe liked and unliked a graphic linking Jose Mourinho to the permanent managerial role available at his club this summer.

When questioned about the social media move from his star player, interim manager Arbeloa said: 'I'm indifferent to whether Mbappe likes Mourinho, Julia Roberts, or anyone else.'

Mbappe and Exposito are believed to have been dating since early this year, with the pair spotted in the former's old home city of Paris during Fashion Week in the French capital in March.