Mbappe completed a dream move to Madrid this summer after the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract but has not yet hit top form under Carlo Ancelotti.

The coach has kept Brazil international Vinicius in his preferred position on the wing and has placed Mbappe, who favours playing on the left, in the centre.

“The problem, in my opinion, is that (Mbappe) is not a central striker; even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine, he doesn’t feel comfortable because it’s not his natural position,” Benzema told the Spanish television show El Chiringuito on Monday night

“On the left, he’s got someone at his level — Vinicius — so there’s a problem. You can’t play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right; he’s at his best on the left, where he makes an impact in every game.

“Mbappe isn’t a true number nine. People have high expectations of him, and he’s under a lot of pressure. This isn’t Paris Saint-Germain.”

Since joining Madrid from PSG, the 25-year-old has scored eight goals in 14 appearances across all competitions.

Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or at Real Madrid in 2022 before signing with Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad last year, advised Mbappe to keep working hard to adapt to his new role.

“(I’d tell him) don’t give up, because I don’t think he’ll push Vinicius out of position — he’s currently the best player in the world,” Benzema continued.

“Mbappe needs to accept that, for now, he’s playing as a number nine and set aside the left flank for a while.”

Benzema, who joined Real Madrid in 2009 and played there for 14 seasons, warned Mbappe that “if you go two or three games without scoring, you’re going to face a lot of scrutiny.”

Real Madrid are set to play AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Spanish news website El Confidencial reports that the players were held after the mother of an underage girl went to police to claim one of the trio filmed a sex video of the youngster and sent it to others.

They were arrested this morning, El Confidencial said.

The ongoing investigation is reportedly being led by Civil Guard officers in Gran Canaria because the complaint is said to have been lodged in Mogan in the south of the island on September 6.

The players, who have not been named, have been described as youth players, reserve team players, and “third team” players.

Although it did not provide any initial proof to back up its claim, El Confidencial claimed: ‘Police sources say there could be several other players involved, including first-team players.’

The men said to have been arrested are understood to be under police investigation on suspicion of a crime of ‘disclosure of confidential information.’

Salah left the field in tears when he was forced off with a shoulder injury in the first half of that game and said he would relish the opportunity to face Madrid again.

“I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest,” Salah told BT Sport.

“City is a really tough team. We played against them a few times this season.”

But I think, if you ask me personally, I prefer Madrid, because we lost in the final [to them], so I want to play against them and hopefully we will win it.”

Salah, who provided the assist for Fabinho’s crucial goal early in the second half against Villarreal, felt Liverpool’s comeback in Spain underlined their strong mentality.

Neil Mellor reflects on Liverpool’s 5-2 aggregate win over Villarreal that sees them reach their third Champions League final in five years
“It was tough in the first half but then we went to the dressing room. The gaffer talked and we talked to each other as well.

That shows character and personality in the dressing room. It shows that we are a top team. That’s why we can strike back after losing 2-0 in the first half. I think it makes the win more exciting.”

Asked if he is motivated by the possibility of winning the Quadruple, he added: “For sure. Maybe not at the beginning of the season because I always focus on the Premier League and the Champions League but now we are close for everything, so why not?”

In the latest draw, Manchester United will take on La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid, with PSG to face Real Madrid. 

Current champions, Chelsea will go head to head with Lille, with Sporting Lisbon to face Manchester City. 

Draw in full below. 

Salzburg v Bayern Munich

Sporting Lisbon v Man City

Benfica v Ajax

Chelsea v Lille

Atletico Madrid v Man United

Villarreal v Juventus

Inter Milan v Liverpool

PSG v Real Madrid 

Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid are the only founding members of the breakaway competition that have so far refused to abandon the project.

UEFA threatened the clubs with legal action and planned to suspend them from this year’s Champions League, but it was announced in May that legal proceedings would be delayed after a Madrid court accused the governing body of acting “outside the rule of law”.

The UEFA Appeals Body has now announced that the case against the three clubs will be dropped.

A statement from the governing body read: “Following the stay of proceedings against FC Barcelona, Juventus FC and Real Madrid CF, in the matter related to a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’, the UEFA Appeals Body has declared today the proceedings null and void as if the proceedings had never been opened.”

The European Superleague was a controversial plot to form a new competition that would challenge the Champions League for supremacy in European football. It was announced in April.

Nine other clubs which include Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and Inter announced that they would also join the Super League as founding members. But the plan quickly fell apart amid protests from fans as UEFA and the national football associations across Europe spoke out against the idea.

The Premier League teams, Atletico, Milan and Inter all announced they would be pulling out of the plan within days of the initial announcement. The clubs that pulled out agreed to pay a total of £22 million ($31m) to UEFA but now the governing body has also cancelled the fines.

Casillas and Raul became Madrid legends after spending a combined total of 43 years at the club after graduating from the club’s academy.

They both won seven La Liga titles between them.

Raul left the Bernabeu in 2010, moving to Schalke having scored more than 300 goals for the Spanish giants while Casillas was forced out of Madrid after playing more than 700 times for the club.

Now, a secret recording from a 2006 conversation has emerged in which Perez blasted the two club legends. The conversation took place six months after Perez resigned from his first spell as president amid criticism that he had focused too much on brand appeal rather than footballing success.

Perez said “He is not a goalkeeper for Real Madrid. He is not and he never has been. It has been the great failure we have had, what happens is that they [the fans] adore him, they love him, they talk to him. I don’t know why they defend him so much. Well, it’s one of the great frauds, the second is Raul. The two great Real Madrid frauds are Raul first and Casillas second. Zidane’s a great guy. And Beckham and Ronaldo. … But then there are the others that think that … let’s see. Raul is a bad person. He thinks Madrid is his and he uses everything there is in Madrid, developing everything for his own benefit. Him and his agent. They are to blame for Madrid not doing well. Look, I left, among other reasons, because of him. He is a negative guy, he is destroying Madrid.”

Perez has now come out to hut back at the publisher of the audio recording, claiming that the recording has only been published to discredit him in the face of the European Super League scandal.

The statement read “Given the news broadcast in El Confidencial, in which phrases attributed to me are reported, I think it is necessary to clarify,” The reproduced phrases are pronounced in conversations clandestinely recorded by Mr Jose Antonio Abellan, who has been trying to sell them for many years without success. It is surprising now that, despite the time that has elapsed, the newspaper El Confidencial reports them today. They are single phrases of conversations taken from the broad context in which they occur. For them to be reproduced now, after so many years have passed since those conversations took place, is I understand due to my participation as one of the promoters of the Super League. I have put the matter in the hands of my lawyers who are studying the possible actions to take.”

The clubs are the only three of the original 12 to have not distanced themselves from the project despite heavy criticism from fans and football pundits.

UEFA said in a statement “Following an investigation conducted by UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspectors in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’ project, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus FC for a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework, further information will be made available in due course”

The European football body’s statutes include a section on “prohibited groupings” of clubs or leagues forming without UEFA’s permission or outside its control.

UEFA’s move raises the prospect of the three clubs being sanctioned, with some reports suggesting they face expulsion from UEFA competitions such as the Champions League for a period of two years.

Zidane, who made his name as a player in the early 2000s and came back to win three champions league titles for Madrid as a coach told his players that he would not be coaching the team next season just before they clash with Sevilla last week.

The report says the Frenchman said he will walk away from the club at the end of the 2020-21 season, making it the second time he has resigned from the post, having previously quit following Madrid’s third consecutive Champions League triumph in 2018.

Madrid plays Athletic Club today, May 16, in La Liga and then conclude their season at home to Villarreal on May 23 which will be Zidane’s last two games in charge of the Blancos, according to the report.

The major reason given for his decision to quit is that Zidane is physically and mentally fatigued.

With his decision to resign, there are now rumours linking the Frenchman to a sensational return to Juventus where he made his name as a player.

The three clubs are the only teams of the original 12 Super League clubs who signed up for the breakaway competition not to have formally renounced the competition and renewed their commitments to UEFA.

The trio could be expelled from the Champions League for two years as a consequence.

UEFA released a statement on Wednesday which read: ‘In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, UEFA Ethics, and Disciplinary Inspectors have today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of UEFA’s legal framework by Real Madrid CF, FC Barcelona and Juventus FC in connection with the so-called ‘Super League’ project.

‘Further information regarding this matter will be made available in due course.’

The two-year ban from Europe’s leading club competition is the harshest sanction at UEFA’s disposal.

The prospect of disciplinary action appeared inevitable last Friday when a statement confirming the peace accord with nine of the clubs ended: “UEFA has reserved all rights to take whatever action it deems appropriate against those clubs that have so far refused to renounce the so-called ‘Super League’.

“The matter will promptly be referred to the competent UEFA disciplinary bodies.”

The nine other clubs including the Premier League’s ‘big six’ ( Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur) committed themselves to UEFA competitions over the threat of heavy fines and expulsion if there was any renewed attempt by any one of them to break away.

However, Real, Barca, and Juve issued a joint statement on Saturday standing by the Super League project, stating it was lawful and that it would be “highly irresponsible” of them not to continue to look at ways to answer what they see as the “existential questions which threaten football”.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was announced as the chairman of the Super League in the statement confirming its foundation.

His Juventus counterpart, Andrea Agnelli, resigned from his position on UEFA’s executive committee and his chairmanship of the European Club Association in order to sign up for the project. He became a vice-chairman of the league, which collapsed within 72 hours when the English clubs withdrew amid fan protests, Government pressure, and managerial staff.

Manchester United’s co-chairman, Joel Glazer was also a vice-chairman of the ESL. His family have committed to paying United’s share of a 15million euros ‘goodwill contribution’ as part of the club’s reintegration to the UEFA fold, and to covering the five per cent of competition revenue that will be withheld from the nine clubs next season.

The Super League was announced on April 18, but within 72 hours it had fallen apart with the English clubs withdrawing after fan protests and Government pressure.

Nine of the original 12 European Super League clubs, including the Premier League’s Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City declared their commitment to UEFA and its competitions at the continental and domestic level on Friday, May 7. The clubs also agreed to give a percentage of its earnings next season to UEFA.

The nine clubs face fines of 100m euros (almost £87m) each if they seek to join an unauthorised competition in the future, and a fine of half that if they breach any other terms of the declaration, UEFA said in a statement.

However, Juventus, Real Madrid and Barcelona have refused to quit the European Super League saying it will be modified and the other clubs risk financial penalties if they decide to leave the European Super League.

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus on Saturday, May 8, issued a joint statement vowing to “persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions” amid the fallout from the European Super League, warning UEFA to stop threatening them while denouncing the “intolerable” pressure put on them by UEFA to drop the project.

It read: “In relation to the statement released by UEFA on the 7th May in respect of the Super League and the position taken by 9 of its founding clubs, Fútbol Club Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid Club de Fútbol state the following: I- The founding clubs have suffered, and continue to suffer, unacceptable third-party pressures, threats, and offences to abandon the project and therefore desist from their right and duty to provide solutions to the football ecosystem via concrete proposals and constructive dialogue. This is intolerable under the rule of law and Tribunals have already ruled in favour of the Super League proposal, ordering FIFA and UEFA too, either directly or through their affiliated bodies, refrain from taking any action which may hinder this initiative in any way while court proceedings are pending. II- The Super League project was designed jointly by its 12 founding clubs: a. with the aim of providing solutions to the current unsustainable situation in the football industry. The 12 founding clubs shared the same concerns -as other stakeholders in European football do-, particularly under the current socio-economic context, that structural reforms are indispensable to ensure our sport stays appealing and survives in the long term. To that effect, on 18th April, they announced their willingness to create the Super League and establish a channel of communication with UEFA and FIFA, in a constructive spirit of collaboration between the parties, as it was so notified to each of them on such date; b. with the utmost respect for the current football structures and ecosystem. The founding clubs expressly agreed that the Super League would only take place if such competition was recognised by UEFA and/or FIFA or if, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, it was deemed to be a competition duly compatible for all purposes with the continuity of the founding clubs in their respective domestic competitions. However, despite being aware of the above terms, UEFA and FIFA have so far refused to establish any adequate channel of communication; and c. to bring financial stability to the entire European football family, currently under the effects of a deep crisis that threatens the survival of many clubs. Testament of it, the announced commitment to establish annual solidarity payments for guaranteed annual amounts that materially multiply those distributed by UEFA, and the obligation to reinforce financial sustainability rules, through the creation of a clear, transparent and effective control system verified by experts. III- The 12 founding clubs also acknowledged that the Super League was a unique opportunity to offer fans around the world the best possible show and to reinforce global interest in the sport, which is not a ‘given’ and is challenged by new generational trends. Moreover, one of its main objectives was to promote women’s football on a global level, a tremendous, but currently underestimated, an opportunity for the sector. IV- We are fully aware of the diversity of reactions to the Super League initiative and, consequently, of the need to reflect on the reasons for some of them. We are ready to reconsider the proposed approach, as necessary. However, we would be highly irresponsible if, being aware of the needs and systemic crisis in the football sector, which led us to announce the Super League, we abandoned such mission to provide effective and sustainable answers to the existential questions that threaten the football industry. V- We regret to see that our friends and founding partners of the Super League project have now found themselves in such an inconsistent and contradictory position when signing a number of commitments to UEFA yesterday. However, given that the material issues that led the 12 founding clubs to announce the Super League weeks ago have not gone away, we reiterate that, to honour our history, to comply with our obligations towards our stakeholders and fans, for the good of football and for the financial sustainability of the sector, we have the duty to act in a responsible manner and persevere in the pursuit of adequate solutions, despite the unacceptable and ongoing pressures and threats received from UEFA. VI- Mostly, we reiterate to FIFA, UEFA and all football stakeholders, as we have done on several occasions since the announcement of the Super League, our commitment and firm will discuss, with respect and without intolerable pressure and in accordance with the rule of law, the most appropriate solutions for the sustainability of the whole football family”.