Mijatović: Real Madrid lacks a true leader now; Mbappé cannot do that so far

Former Real Madrid player Predrag Mijatović analyzed the team's current difficult situation on the "El Larguero" program of SER Radio.

Mijatović said: "I think what Real Madrid lacks now is a leader, not a player who can make a difference. I don't see a leader in the team who can stand up and shout 'What on earth are we doing?' Real Madrid needs leaders like Ramos, Modrić, Benzema, Fernando Hierro, and Raúl, the kind of leaders that the camera will focus on." 

He then said, "Mbappé is a great player, but he's not a leader, just like Zidane wasn't a leader when he was in the French team. Zidane wasn't a leader at the time, but he was the best player on the team. Scoring goals doesn't make Mbappé a leader. In my era, the team's leader was Fernando Hierro, and as soon as he said something, you had to do it." 

Mijatović also talked about the team's coaching issue, saying, "When Xabi Alonso left, I said that the team's problems might not lie with the coach, and I still think so now. Álvaro Arbeloa took over the reins; he may lack sufficient coaching experience, but he is a Real Madrid man, understands the players and the club, yet the team has once again shown signs of slackness." 

"I think what we should be thinking about now is whether such problems can be solved by the coach. This is not the chairman's problem. I believe the players must wake up and think carefully about how to improve themselves." 

"In the game against Benfica, it was evident that after conceding a goal, the team seemed completely unconcerned. They behaved as if they were the best in the world, as if nothing had happened. The team is now full of fatigue and slackness. I see no sign of fighting spirit, nor any hope."