Real Madrid Mbappé faces a historic challenge: breaking Real Madrid's curse
The Frenchman has taken on the responsibility of wearing the '10,' a number with significant weight and some failures at the club
Kylian Mbappé faces his second season at Real Madrid with a clear mission. In addition to scoring goals and lifting trophies, the Frenchman will try to break a curse that has affected several players at Santiago Bernabéu. We're talking about the "10" jersey, a number full of history, but also recent failures.
Mbappé inherits that jersey after Luka Modric's departure, a white legend who truly honored it. The Croatian wore the "10" for eight seasons, during which he won three Champions League titles, three La Liga titles, and a Ballon d'Or. Now, the challenge passes to the hands of the new idol of Madridism.
A number more complicated than it seems
Before Modric, the "10" had more shadows than lights. James Rodríguez, one of the most top-level signings of the last decade, didn't meet expectations.
He excelled in his first season, but then lost prominence. His move to Bayern in 2017 closed a period marked by inconsistency.
Something similar happened with Mesut Özil. The German was an undeniable talent and had perfect chemistry with Cristiano Ronaldo, but his time with the "10" was short. In 2013, he left for Arsenal and the jersey was left without an owner for a while.
The most puzzling case was Lass Diarra's. A defensive midfielder who never fit that number. His choice was hard to justify; he spent two seasons with it, without shine or influence on the team, making it one of the most inexplicable periods for the jersey.
Sneijder didn't leave a positive memory either. He only played one season with the "10", in 2008/09 (2008/09), marked by collective failures. Interestingly, his best football came right after, when he was already out of the club.
If we look further back, the Brazilian Robinho didn't manage to shine as was desired. He was another promising player who never really broke out. The "10" seemed to weigh on him.
Mbappé wants to change history
Now, Mbappé faces that challenge. At just 26 years old, he has already been a world champion and has broken scoring records. Last season, he scored 44 goals, a milestone for a debutant at the white club.
With Xabi Alonso as the new coach and a team full of talent, the stage is ideal. Mbappé wants to restore the "10" to the glory it had with Modric and, at the same time, erase the curse that so many others couldn't overcome.
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