Christophe Dugarry has never been one to hold back — and his latest appearance on Rothen s’enflamme was no exception.
The former France international launched into a critique of Real Madrid’s squad construction, pushing back against what he sees as an unfair narrative around Kylian Mbappé while simultaneously questioning whether several current players are truly at the level required to wear the white shirt.
“If the Spanish Don’t Want Him Anymore, They Should Send Him Back”
Dugarry began by addressing the growing scrutiny surrounding Mbappé and whether he is to blame for Real Madrid’s inconsistencies.
“I find it quite surprising that Real Madrid’s problems are solely due to Mbappé. At some point, we have to stop exaggerating. If the Spanish don’t want him anymore, they should send him back. Maybe he’ll leave and make someone else happy, I don’t know. But I find it quite surprising, honestly. I think there are too many players at Real Madrid who aren’t Real Madrid players. They’re overrated, I’m sorry. I’ve also had the opportunity to play for big clubs. At Barcelona, I didn’t wear the shirt much, and there’s a reason for that too…”
“They’re Not Up to Par”
Dugarry didn’t stop at generalities. He named names.
“These are clubs that aspire to stars, they’re the best, and I think there are players who aren’t up to par. They’ve been there a long time, I’m thinking of Camavinga, Güler, Valverde, Tchouaméni… Asensio, who came out of nowhere and became a starter because there were a lot of injuries. He proved to be a good player, but he’s not a Real Madrid center-back. Alaba is injured and only plays one week every three months; he’s not at that level.”
Recruitment and Standards
He also questioned the club’s transfer strategy in recent seasons, suggesting financial pragmatism may have diluted competitive standards.
“I get the impression that they signed a lot of players with contracts about to expire because they had fewer resources available. When you play for clubs like that, you have to prove you’re a great player over a season, lead your team, be decisive; that’s the difference between the level we experience daily in our national leagues and that of Real Madrid.”
. And according to Dugarry, several players simply aren’t meeting them.