Losing the derby is a step backwards: I will not talk about the refereeing controversy
France's Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid star, spoke about the derby defeat to Atlético Madrid and the refereeing controversy that accompanied the match.
Mbappé said in an interview with the newspaper AS, while on his way to sign the deal with his new sportswear brand, the Swiss company On: "The derby defeat is a step backwards. It was very difficult."
He stressed: "We wanted to win, and we knew the kind of match awaiting us. But the team gave everything it had, and we will keep moving forward, because the season is still long, and we have to keep going down the right path."
Turning to the refereeing storm, Mbappé addressed whether Real Madrid had been denied the chance to play the derby on equal terms.
The Frenchman explained: "I don't think I've ever been a player who talks much about the referee. And I won't start now. I have some thoughts, but I keep them to myself. I've never been a player who behaves this way, and I won't start now. The referee is a human being, and he makes mistakes, and there were mistakes, but I don't want to get into that."
For Mbappé, the time has come to look ahead and...