French Football Legend Michel Platini is delighted to see Kylian Mbappe win Europe’s Golden Boot in his first season at Real Madrid, and has given new boss Xabi Alonso advice on the star forward’s best position.
Los Blancos finished the 2024-25 season trophyless, though Mbappe enjoyed a spectacular campaign, where he collected the European Golden boot after scoring 42 goals across all competitions.
“Mbappe is a phenomenal guy. He scored 42 goals in Spain. He won the Golden Boot, he is the top scorer in Europe. It means he was good. He plays in a team that hasn’t had an exceptional year,” Platini told RMC.
The former UEFA President added, “Real Madrid is also getting a little older. Carlo Ancelotti has finished his cycle.”
In advice for Xabi Alonso, who has just replaced Ancelotti, he said, “Mbappé is a phenomenon. He is a striker who scores goals. Don’t ask him to play like Messi, Modric, Platini or Zidane. He is a striker. A centre-forward, not a centre-forward, I don’t understand what the new coaches think about that.”
Platini added, “He is a striker who scores goals. That is the most important thing. Then, you have to know one thing: either you build him a team that plays for him, or you build him a team that plays well. That is the difficulty.”