Former Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder has weighed in on two of the biggest talking points surrounding the club right now: the coaching situation and the criticism directed at Kylian Mbappé.
Speaking in an interview with HardRock Bet, Sneijder strongly endorsed José Mourinho as the ideal candidate to manage Real Madrid again, while also criticizing the reactionary nature of football fandom after a petition reportedly circulated among supporters calling for Mbappé to be sold.
Sneijder wants Mourinho back at Real Madrid
Sneijder believes Real Madrid require a very specific type of manager — someone capable not only of handling pressure, but also of commanding a dressing room filled with elite stars and dominant personalities.
“Real Madrid is one of those teams that needs a great coach, but also a coach who can work alongside incredible players with very strong personalities. I think Mourinho is the right person for that role right now, and they need to hire him,” Sneijder said.
The Dutchman knows Mourinho better than most. The pair worked together during Inter Milan’s historic treble-winning season in 2009-10, arguably the peak of Sneijder’s career. Mourinho later coached Real Madrid from 2010 to 2013, winning La Liga with a record-breaking 100-point campaign and helping reshape the club into a more aggressive and competitive force in Europe.
Sneijder defends Mbappé against fan backlash
Sneijder also addressed the criticism surrounding Kylian Mbappé after a petition from “Real Madrid fans” calling for the club to sell the French superstar.
The former midfielder dismissed the movement as herd mentality and argued that many supporters overlook Mbappé’s importance during difficult stretches of the season.
“We’re all sheep. If one person goes, the rest automatically follow. Some of them probably don’t even know what they’re signing,” Sneijder said.
He then defended Mbappé’s contributions to the team:
“But in the end, he was also very important for the team. He scored a lot of goals and had a period where he carried Real Madrid when there were injuries and problems with Vinicius Jr., for example; he was always there.”
