Kylian Mbappe (foto: Getty Images)
It’s been a week to forget for Kylian Mbappé. Knocked out of the Champions League with Real Madrid and now facing disaster as Caen—his club—drops into France’s third division.
Kylian Mbappé is enduring one of the lowest moments of his career—both as a player and a club owner. While Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions League, his French club Caen has suffered relegation to the third division for the first time since 1984.
Stade Malherbe Caen, the former club of Jan Repas—now at Maribor—has fallen into chaos. Just one season after nearly qualifying for a Ligue 1 promotion playoff, they now find themselves in the football wilderness, a collapse that few saw coming.
Mbappé took over the club last summer with a bold vision, but the strategy has backfired. Caen sold players for over €10 million, yet failed to reinvest meaningfully. Every new arrival came on a free transfer or loan deal, and the club never stood a chance of keeping pace in Ligue 2.
For supporters, this decline isn’t just frustrating—it’s confirmation of their worst fears. There was already unease before the season began, and now it’s clear: Mbappé’s ownership model is under heavy scrutiny.
To make matters worse, Mbappé’s form with Real Madrid has dipped at a critical point in the season. With the club falling short in Europe and trailing Barcelona in La Liga, criticism is mounting—not just of the star’s performances, but also of his off-field ventures.
Caen’s fall marks a significant blot on Mbappé’s early attempts at club ownership. A full squad overhaul will now be necessary, but trust will take longer to rebuild—both with fans in Normandy, and perhaps among those watching Mbappé’s post-playing ambitions.