Photo of Huijsen and Pitarch draws criticism

A photo of Huijsen and Pitarch is drawing attention: it shows one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding a phone. Shared on social media by young Spanish midfielder Thiago Pitarch, the image shows his teammate Dean Huijsen inside a car, with a phone in one hand and the wheel in the other.

The episode has prompted reactions around Real Madrid. Pitarch, who has been called up to Spain’s under-20 team, shared an image that quickly attracted notice. It is not clear from the photo whether the car was moving. Despite that uncertainty, many Real Madrid supporters posted negative comments on social media, describing the scene as reckless.

The photo followed the circulation, a few hours earlier, of a video showing Mbappé riding a bicycle. A few days before that, Mourinho had said that a professional player should not take part in that kind of activity. Pitarch’s post has now sparked criticism in turn, this time over Huijsen holding a phone while also keeping one hand on the steering wheel.