When Kylian Mbappe visited Real Madrid in July to express his desire to inherit Luka Modric's No. 10 shirt, both President Florentino Perez and sponsor Adidas could not hide their joy. That is a golden opportunity for marketing and revenue, financial signs have immediately shone.
But coach Xabi Alonso has a different view. For someone trying to build a promising new relationship with their superstar, the number 10 shirt is not only of romantic or commercial value.
Alonso reminded Mbappe that Modric has kept it for 7 years with self-respect, dignity, professionalism and outstanding contributions to the club and the national team.
"You still want it?" - Alonso left a message as an Implied challenge to the French striker.
Mbappe's reaction since leaving the number 9 shirt to wear the number 10 was perfect. On the pitch, he continued to affirm his class with a double against Real Oviedo in Los Blancos' 3-0 win.
Mbappe has increased his scoring record to three goals in the opening two rounds of La Liga, extending his familiar scoring streak. Last season, Mbappe scored 44 goals and became the most effective rookie in Real Madrid's history.
off the pitch, the commercial effect took place exactly as Florentino Perez and Adidas calculated. According to Diario Sport's fermen de la Calle (mental source Euromericas Sport Marketing), 345,000 No. 10 shirts with Mbappe's name printed were sold in a short time, bringing in millions of USD. This once again proves that Real Madrid is the most powerful customer of the German sports brand.
Alonso and his student both spoke in agreement. After the win over Osasuna, Alonso smiled: "After a great debut season, where he did a lot, I think Kylian is still hungry more. Whether it's thanks to his new jersey or simply his instinct to win, he believes he can play better.
If the number 10 shirt arouses all that, it's perfect. He always brings different moments, and the important thing is that they are often decisive."
Mbappe calmed down: "No. 10 means a lot to Real Madrid, but so does No. 9. I feel great, but the most important thing is to contribute to the team both in attack and defence.
From there, everything will come by itself, because with the current spirit, we will continue to win".
Mbappe is always in the picture of a goal. Previous managers - typically Luis Enrique at Paris St-Germain - have tried to add the final element to his skill set. These are details that many players often ignore: ugly challenges, pressing situations, counter-attacks that require endurance and muscle.
Against Oviedo, Mbappe did not transform into a comprehensive player overnight. But the image of him pressing hastily, fighting fiercely, constantly harassing the opponent's defense and even being angry in collisions showed a new effort - a desire to get closer to perfection.
Behind everything, there is a long wait. It took Mbappe eight years to officially take his number 10 shirt at club level. He has only had two trial spells at Monaco.
At PSG, Mbappe had to wait for Neymar to leave for a chance, but in the end this shirt was given to Ousmane Dembele. In Madrid, he really owned it for the first time and seemed determined that Mbappe would show that he was worthy of this responsibility.
Mbappe wore the No. 10 shirt for the French team right before taking the 2018 World Cup with Les Bleus, when he was only 19 years old. And as Alonso said, whether it was for personal desire or the weight of the shirt Modric left behind, it was interesting to see new aspects of Mbappe's performance against Oviedo.
In a corner kick defense, he suddenly dropped deep, made an accurate tackle and launched a dangerous counter-attack - an image that Mbappe had rarely seen before.
Another notable moment came when Vinicius Junior came on and assisted Mbappe's second goal. During the emotional explosion, Vinicius almost caused more trouble with his hot exchange of words and gestures. But Mbappe quickly ran back, hugged his teammate and cleverly covered Vinicius' mouth, both to have fun and to help the Brazilian player avoid unnecessary trouble.
