Mbappe Q&A: Why have over 30M Real Madrid 'fans' signed petition for the French's exit?

An online petition calling for Real Madrid to get rid of Kylian Mbappe now has more than 30m signatures, but why are the fans unhappy with the France striker?

Why are Real Madrid fans unhappy with Mbappe?

Mbappe has become a scapegoat.

Real Madrid are not going to win a trophy again this season but the fans are particularly unhappy about the fact that he flew off in a private jet to Sardinia for a romantic break with his actress girlfriend Ester Exposito last week when he was recovering from a hamstring injury.

He returned to Madrid on Sunday evening just minutes before Real Madrid kicked off away at Espanyol and it hasn't gone down well with Real Madrid 11 points behind Barcelona. There is an El Clasico on Sunday and it is likely Barcelona will be crowned LaLiga champions again. Meanwhile, Real's star player has been off on holiday.

His representatives have made it clear the player had permission to go away for a few days and he is following the rehabilitation programme which has been put in place for him by Real Madrid's medical team.

But despite that, the frustration in Madrid appears to be growing.

An online petition for Real Madrid to get rid of Mbappe has grown rapidly and now has more than 30m signatures. If they are all genuine people, that would make it a world record-breaking petition.

To keep things in perspective, the population of Spain is about 50m, but Real Madrid claim to have 600m fans worldwide. Many of them appear to have turned on Mbappe because they see him as a symbol of what has gone wrong at the club, despite his 85 goals in two seasons.

Is there wider unrest at Real Madrid than just Mbappe?

Despite Mbappe's goals, Real Madrid have not won a major trophy since he joined them on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain two summers ago.

To make matters worse, PSG won the Champions League for the first time in the season after he left and they are back in the final later this month.

PSG basically decided he was more trouble than he was worth.

Mbappe is an incredible talent but his lack of work-rate off the ball meant that Luis Enrique, who is arguably the best manager in the world right now, was not that unhappy when he left. For Luis Enrique, the team always come first and if you don't run, you don't play.

If you watch Mbappe play, he is the kind of player who, when his side doesn't have the ball, he does very little. He hangs around the centre circle waiting for someone to pass to him and in modern football, that doesn't work.

PSG were more than happy when 'the Mbappe circus' left town and relations were so toxic that the player and his former club have been involved in a long-running financial dispute about the terms of his contract and his departure.

Also, Real Madrid fans are asking the question again and again, can we have a side with Vincius Jr and Mbappe in it? There's no balance if you have both of those players in the side. That's another reason why we have seen this petition and why some Real fans want to get rid of Mbappe.

Can 'The Mbappe Problem' be resolved?

What is interesting is what might happen at Real Madrid this summer.

'The Mbappe Problem' is one of the big issues for the next Real Madrid manager.

Mbappe, and the rest of the powerful dressing room, have already seen off Xabi Alonso this season, but they are unlikely to have things their own way if Jose Mourinho returns this summer.

Mourinho is the leading candidate to take over from Alvaro Arbeloa and the Benfica manager has a 10-day €3m (£25.9m) break clause which can be activated later this month.

If Mourinho was to take over, you would imagine all the players would be given a clean slate but no one could ever be more powerful than the manager. Mourinho is not the kind of manager who is going to put up with Mbappe's perceived ego, tantrums on the training ground or flying off on romantic holidays when you are injured.

He would also have to decide once and for all whether Mbappe and Vinicius Jnr could play in the same side - as previously mentioned, many Real Madrid fans think it has to be one or the other.

Would Real Madrid consider selling Mbappe and where could he go?

Mbappe has three years left on his contract and despite the petition, it is unlikely he will be sold any time soon.

Any talk of him playing in the Premier League soon is premature.

If he were to leave, his transfer fee would be in the region of £200m and in the new era of Squad Cost Ratio rules, who would be able to afford that kind of fee, his sizeable wages and bonus demands?

If he does ever leave the Bernabeu, his next destination is likely to be Saudi Arabia.

Three years ago, Al Hilal made a £260m offer to sign him from PSG.

He was not interested then but they could have more luck if they try again in the latter stages of his career and in the run-up to the World Cup in Saudi Arabia in 2034.

What's next in the Mbappe saga?

The big question is whether Mbappe will be fit to play any part in the Clasico at Barcelona on Sunday night.

There is a World Cup firmly on the horizon and Mbappe will be one of the big stars of the tournament this summer and that is something that has not escaped the attention of Real Madrid supporters.

Many of them are convinced that he is prioritising country over club as he aims to make up for the disappointment of losing the 2022 final - despite scoring a hat-trick in the final - by going one better this time. In their words, the reason he is having this extended holiday, is because he wants to be 100 per cent to try and win the World Cup again this summer.

France are in a group with Senegal, Iraq and Erling Haaland's Norway. Getting away from Madrid for a few months and showing the world what he can on the biggest stage will be the perfect opportunity for him to reset his relationship with the demanding fans in the Bernabeu.

France begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal at the MetLife Stadium, which is also the venue for the final.

Mbappe will have mixed feelings about playing there again. He was in the starting XI when Real Madrid lost 4-0 to PSG in the Club World Cup semi-final.