Real Madrid star’s wife defends Rodrygo amid tension with Bellingham, Mbappe

The wife of Real Madrid star Federico Valverde has leapt to the defence of Rodrygo after he decided he no longer wants to play for the club.

The 24-year-old refused to take part in Sunday's El Clasico at the Nou Camp after expressing his desire to leave in the summer.

The Brazilian reportedly wants to leave Madrid after feeling 'displaced' due to the media hype surrounding Bellingham and Mbappe, according to Marca, with the forward having once hoped to share the leading role alongside fellow Brazilian Vinicius Jr.

Rodrygo hasn't featured for Ancelotti's side since their Copa del Rey final loss on April 26 and his days in the Spanish capital appear to be numbered.

But Valverde's wife Mina Bonino rushed to Rodrygo defence, calling for 'respect' for the Madrid outcast.

'Nobody knows the battles that go on behind a player, they are human. Respect,' she wrote on X.'

Bonino, who has two children with the Uruguayan midfielder, previously hit out at Ancelotti for playing Valverde out of position, before claiming her account was hacked.

Her comments came as the Brazil international was seen in training on Tuesday with the Spanish giants preparing for their upcoming La Liga clash against Mallorca.

'Today in training, he had a discomfort in his leg,' Ancelotti said.'I don’t know which one. And he wasn’t well; he didn’t recover well from the fever. Afterwards, there was a lot of speculation about this.'

Real Madrid's 4-3 defeat by Barcelona took the Catalans within touching distance of the La Liga title, having chalked up a seven point lead over their bitter rivals with just three games to play.

And with Los Blancos set to enter a new era after Carlo Ancelotti's appointment as the manager of Brazil on Monday, Rodrygo is eager to follow his manager out the door — putting top clubs around Europe on high alert ahead of the summer transfer window.

Rodrygo's frustrations have grown as Bellingham, who signed from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2023, increasingly enamoured himself in the eyes of Spanish media with a superb debut campaign at the Bernabeu.

Marca reports that Mbappe's arrival has also caused a rift with Vinicius Jr, who was the face of the club prior to teaming up with the Frenchman.

Mbappe arrived at Real Madrid last summer as one of the most high-profile stars in world football and has had a stellar individual season. He has scored 38 goals across all competitions, even if his side look destined not to lift a major trophy.

The arrivals of Bellingham and Mbappe have not only diverted the media's attention away from the likes of Rodrygo — they have also forced Ancelotti into a tactical reshuffle this campaign.

While attempting to find the perfect formula for his raft of superstars, Ancelotti saw a decline in his team's performance on the pitch compared to last season, with Bellingham initially dropping deeper and Rodrygo shifting wider to accommodate for Mbappe through the middle in attack.

As the season rumbled on, Ancelotti appeared to find his preferred starting XI without the inclusion of Rodrygo, omitting the Brazilian during important matches to run with a front three of Vinicius Jr, Bellingham and Mbappe.

Finding the ideal tactical balance next season is a task set to fall upon the shoulders of Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, whose expected appointment at the Bernabeu is set to be announced imminently.

Rodrygo is reportedly 'very angry' and has confined himself to his own home following his decision not to feature in El Clasico.

The 24-year-old star has played for Real Madrid since 2019, chalking up over 250 appearances for the club following his move from Santos.

The Brazilian's decision to leave the Bernabeu will spark a huge transfer battle across Europe and particularly in the Premier League, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all having expressed interest in the forward over the last few months.

Should a move to the Premier League materialise this summer, Rodrygo would arrive with a rich portfolio of trophies under his belt, having won the Champions League twice, La Liga three times and the Copa del Rey once during his time in Spain.