Mbappe recently gave an exclusive interview to José Félix Díaz, editorial director of AS, at the Real Madrid training ground. This was the French forward's first interview with a Spanish newspaper since joining Real Madrid, and the two discussed a wide range of topics in depth. In the second part of this interview, Mbappe discussed the timing of his transfer and his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, what he learned from his former coaches, not setting limits for himself, how he deals with goal droughts, and decision-making in the penalty area.

Reporter: Was your last year in Paris difficult?

Mbappe: Of course, I think everyone knows. They don't know all the details, but these are part of my life journey. I don't think I need to complain to anyone two years later. It was indeed very difficult, one hundred percent, but that's in the past. I think it's part of the sacrifice I had to make to achieve my dream.

Reporter: This is your third season. You've had Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, and now Mourinho. What have you learned from all of them? Or rather, what is Mourinho teaching you this season?

Mbappe: First of all, all four of them are important figures in football. So it's always a privilege to be part of their coaching careers. I learned different things from all four of them because they see football in very different ways. But ultimately, all four of them have achieved victories in their respective careers. You can always learn from winners. But it's true, the feeling of being with this coach is different. As I said, he is one of the smartest people I have ever met in my life. He knows how to manage, he knows how to... he is a natural leader. I knew he was special before I came, but when you watch him every day, you realize he is a very special person, a legendary coach who has created his own era and will certainly continue to create an era with us.

Reporter: Someone told me that he once said to you, I don't know if it's true, "Score 50 goals, and then forget everything else."

Mbappe: No, he didn't give me a specific number. He just told me to score goals.

Reporter: He didn't set you a specific target?

Mbappe: No, no, no, never. I never set goal targets for myself because you don't know what will happen in a season. Setting a number is like limiting yourself, and I don't want to limit myself. If I score many goals, I will be very happy; if I score fewer goals, I will also be happy. But I try to help my team every game and focus on what I have to do.

Reporter: The best example is what happened in the last attack against Elche, right?

Mbappe: Of course, of course, you have to pass. That's obvious. I'm more focused on winning. Of course, if I had chosen to shoot, I might have scored too, but he was unmarked at the time, and it was a 100% chance, so I never thought about shooting myself. I would pass the ball.

Reporter: What do you think when people diminish the value of goalscoring, saying "he only scores goals"?

Mbappe: It's just an opinion.

Reporter: No, I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about the general phenomenon.

Mbappe: It's just an opinion. No, no, no, it's just an opinion. With time and experience, I've learned one thing: everyone in football has their own opinion. Sometimes their opinions align with yours, sometimes they're completely different. But as I said, there isn't just one way to win games in football—there are thousands of ways. So until you actually win, no one can claim their opinion is wrong. That's why I always keep an open mind. Some people's comments are just meant to hurt or provoke you, but I'm talking about football opinions that have a logical structure. So I always remain open, because it's always an opportunity to understand how others see the game, and you can learn from it too.

Reporter: When you go three or four games without scoring, do you become a bit obsessed? Or do you know deep down that the goals will come?

Mbappe: I don't even need to wait three or four games—one game without scoring is enough. One game is enough. But I like this feeling, I like this feeling, because for a player like me who is used to scoring constantly, when you go two or three games without scoring, people notice, they talk, it stings you a little, and then you go onto the field with stronger determination. That's very good. I like this feeling. In my career, it's rare to go several games without scoring, and then people start saying: what's going on, he hasn't scored in three or four games? That's good, that's good—it motivates you. If you look at it the right way, it motivates you and makes you more determined for the next game, and then everything goes back to normal.

Reporter: Is scoring a goal an art?

Mbappe: More than just an art. I think it's a way of being, a way of looking at football every day, an obsession with scoring. I think all players who score a lot of goals have a special relationship with goalscoring, because it's a feeling we are very familiar with and always want to feel. It's a joy, a sense of accomplishment that you always yearn to experience.

Reporter: Is it easy to score goals?

Mbappe: No, because if it were easy, everyone would score.

Reporter: But you always have to have certain qualities, right? Not everyone can score, can they?

Mbappe: Yes, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's not bad. People think it's bad that not everyone can score, but everyone has their own role on the field. Not everyone can make saves, not everyone can make good passes. Of course, for me, scoring goals is the most difficult thing in football, but football isn't easy for any position. And when you are at a club like Real Madrid, which is at the pinnacle of world football, everyone on and off the field is an elite in their field, so it's definitely not easy.

Reporter: When you get the ball near the penalty area, do you first look at your teammates or the goal?

Mbappe: It depends. Because yesterday, in the last attack against Elche, I looked at my teammate, and before that when I scored, I looked at the goal. So it's different. Each situation has its specific context—it depends on who you are with, what position you are in, and what stage of the game it is. A lot of information flashes through your brain in that second, so you have to make a decision quickly. That's why sometimes you don't make the best choice, because everything happens too fast, and sometimes you think it's a good decision, but a second later you realize it wasn't. But that's the magic of football.

Reporter: Not just scoring, but also making decisions, as you said. Football is a continuous test, isn't it?

Mbappe: Indeed, always, always. We have a game on Sunday, and as for what happened yesterday against Elche, everyone will forget about it. There's a derby on Sunday, we're going to play, and everyone will forget everything we've done this season, good or bad. The only thing that will matter is the derby on Sunday.

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