Konaté settles Mbappé goal controversy: "For me it's not a foul, it's obvious"

One play, a goal from Kylian Mbappé, and a question that's still hanging in the air: was there a foul before the shot? Ibrahima Konaté didn't want to dwell on it any longer. After Real Madrid's LaLiga match against Sevilla, the French defender sat down to go over the refereeing controversy that the game left behind, and he didn't mince words: "If for you it's not a foul, then that's that. For me it's not a foul. It's obvious."

The line sounds almost like a closing statement, but the underlying issue isn't so easily put to rest. At Real Madrid, there's been a growing sense in recent weeks that refereeing decisions haven't been going their way, and Konaté didn't dodge the subject when asked about it. Still, he kept his feet firmly on the ground: "It's true we haven't had much luck, but it's also true that I've read something about the Negreira case. I'm here to play soccer, and at this club we have to think about that, about soccer."

That's the heart of his message: keeping the noise separate from the daily work. The center back made clear that his focus is elsewhere, on what he can actually control.

I have to focus on the day to day, on the field, try to be competitive and get results on the field. Although it is true that we haven't had luck with the referees' decisions.Ibrahima Konaté

An arrival better than he imagined

Beyond the whistles and the controversies, Konaté took the chance to reflect on his first months wearing white. And by his own account, the balance has been quite positive. "It's been incredible being here, everyone is helping me so much. Everyone who works here has been helping me and making me feel really good," the Frenchman explained, making no secret of his immediate goal: "The most important thing for me is to win titles, and I hope to win them this season."

Joining Real Madrid isn't like joining any other club, and that's something he's noticed in everyday life too. "It's more than I expected. Everything gets magnified so much more, people talk about us all over the world. I'm very happy, I always dreamed of playing for this club," he admitted. Curiously, though, he prefers to stay away from what gets said off the field: "Honestly, I'm not that into social media, and sometimes I don't see what people are saying about us there."

Konaté also described himself as an "optimistic" defender, a label that fits pretty well with the overall tone of his comments. And before wrapping up, he had a special word for the fellow countrymen who were already in the locker room when he arrived in the Spanish capital. "I've been very lucky to share this moment with Tchouaméni, Camavinga and Mbappé. They've helped me a lot since I got to this club. I'm very happy to be here with them because they're great people," he said, making it clear that the French connection in the Madrid locker room has been key to his adjustment.