Mbappe given Real Madrid reality check by Ancelotti

Kylian Mbappé has been giving a reality check at Real Madrid by his new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

The Frenchman joined Los Blancos on a free transfer this summer (although his signing bonus is rumoured to be €150m which is the size of a hefty transfer fee anyway) and due to his status as the de facto best player in the world, would probably be expecting to be treated as such.

After all, not only is he a World Cup winner, he's a two-time World Cup finalists and no man in the history of the game has more goals in World Cup finals than Mbappé does, and he's earning around €15m a year net at Real Madrid.

However his new manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that Mbappé should be under no illusions that he will receive any treatment based on his status at the Santiago Bernabeu.

No Prince or King

"There is no prince or king," said the Italian coach (rather ironically, given Real Madrid's name, crest and history), "there is a group of players, with different qualities. But they all have the ability to put their qualities at the service of the collective."

READ MORE: How Real Madrid will line up in 2024/25.

True enough, Real Madrid are a side loaded with quality stars. Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. are two of the favourites to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or and also two of Mbappé's new team-mates in the Spanish capital.

Ancelotti made sure to reiterate Madrid's collective quality: "The atmosphere in this group has been healthy for several years. It’s also because there are players who have been there for a long time, like Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Toni Kroos, Luka Modrić, as well as Federico Valverde and Lucas Vázquez."

While Kroos and Nacho have since departed, Madrid's quality and winning mentality will no doubt permeate throughout every training session. With the kind of success Madrid have had, even someone as accomplished as Mbappé does not arrive as a saviour or a superhero.

This is especially true in the Champions League, where Madrid have a massive 15 titles and Mbappé has 0, famously losing his only final appearance against Bayern Munich in 2020 after a poor display of finishing.

A debut to remember?

Nevertheless, Mbappé has started his time in Madrid in a positive way. "He’s in great shape, he’s adapting well," said Ancelotti. "He’s focused on training and he’s motivated. He wants to show his extraordinary qualities."

READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe poised to make long-awaited Real Madrid debut this week

Mbappé will have a chance to show his qualities very soon, with a match-up against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup providing a chance to not only make his Madrid debut, but also win a trophy right from the very start of his Madrid career and become a viral sensation with a whole host of memes about how quickly he won silverware (look away, Harry Kane!) in the Spanish capital.