Real Madrid medical staff accused of AI-generated nutrition and misdiagnosis
Real Madrid's medical staff reportedly misdiagnosed Kylian Mbappe's knee injury by scanning the wrong knee in December 2024, and later used the free version of ChatGPT to generate player nutrition recommendations. The former team nutritionist publicly accused the medical team of malpractice in March 2026.
What happened
Real Madrid medical staff checked the wrong knee during Mbappe's injury assessment in December 2024, performing an MRI on his right knee instead of his left knee which had been injured, concluding incorrectly that the player had no knee problems.
Mbappe played in three remaining matches with the undiagnosed injury, worsening the condition. A subsequent examination revealed a left knee sprain, contradicting the initial diagnosis.
Former Real Madrid nutritionist Itziar Gonzalez alleged on March 24, 2026 that the medical team used the free version of ChatGPT to generate player nutrition supplement plans and implemented them directly without further review.
Reported impact
Mbappe experienced anger and distress due to the misdiagnosis and uncertainty about his injury status, eventually traveling to France for treatment.
Players who worked with the discharged nutritionist reportedly experienced significant health improvements, but she was dismissed from the club despite these results.
Index analysis
The use of ChatGPT for generating medical nutrition recommendations without professional oversight represents a reliance on AI systems without appropriate expertise or validation.
The misdiagnosis involved a basic operational error in medical imaging rather than AI-specific failure, but coincided with a broader pattern of medical team inadequacy.
Governance controls
Gonzalez reported concerns about the medical team's practices when she was dismissed in December 2024, describing them as 'ignorant but well-connected narcissists who only harm players' and calling for more professional staff.
Medical staff allegedly instructed players to ignore Gonzalez's professional recommendations and did not provide her with updates on player health status.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.