Real Madrid’s worst season in years cannot be overlooked. It is true that Royal Madrid is still in second place, but Real Madrid fans are not accustomed to reaching the end of a season without a title, nor to seeing their team experiencing all this confusion on and off the field. Those who were accustomed to celebrating cups, regardless of their value, found themselves facing an almost zero season, and inside a dressing room that was no longer able to hide what was happening behind the doors.
This blame, sadness and anger exploded on social media platforms, as fans began to blame players who they saw as looking for personal records and individual achievements, instead of playing as a single group for the sake of the shirt. What made matters worse was that the disputes came to light in recent hours, most notably what happened between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Chouamini, after Real Madrid officially announced the opening of disciplinary procedures against the players against the backdrop of “events that occurred in the training of the first team.”
According to Spanish newspapers, the first spark started during training, before moving to the locker room. There, it was no longer just a passing discussion between players angry about a bad season, but rather turned into a confrontation that prompted the club to act quickly. The novel “Cadena Ser” talked about an attempt by Tshwamini to extend his hand to Valverde, but the latter did not respond, and the atmosphere escalated before Valverde fell and collided with a table inside the dressing room, causing a head injury and taking him to the hospital. The same radio station, quoting the club, stressed that the injury was not the result of a direct hit from Tshwamini.
Later, Valverde tried to contain the spreading narratives. In his statement, he did not deny the tension or the heated debate, but he refused to turn the incident into an open battle, stressing that what happened should have remained inside the locker room, and that leaking what happened was part of the problem, not the solution. The club confirmed that Valverde suffered a head injury, and that he would be absent for a period of up to two weeks according to the medical protocol, while the club opened a disciplinary file against both parties.
Arbeloa loses control?
The crisis does not stop with Valverde and Tchouamini. What Real Madrid is experiencing seems broader than a dispute between two players. The Spanish press has been talking about a tired, divided, and fraught dressing room for weeks. The name of coach Alvaro Arbeloa is at the heart of the storm, after reports indicated tension in his relationship with a number of players, including Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos and Raul Asensio, in light of objections to the playing minutes and the way the stage was managed.
The problem here is that Real Madrid is not only losing its calm, but also losing its internal prestige. The team that was usually managed in silence, and no one could obtain even any information, every disagreement within it became open material to the media. Every friction in training turns into a headline, and every look in the locker room becomes evidence of a division. This in itself is more dangerous than a fight, because the major teams may lose a match, but they cannot lose their dressing room so easily.
Mbappe…from a dream deal to a campaign of anger
At the heart of this scene, Kylian Mbappe is under pressure that many did not expect. The player who arrived in Madrid as a dream deal has now become a direct target for part of the fans. The criticism is not only related to his performance on the field, but also to the image he presents outside the green rectangle, and to the growing feeling among the fans that the French star has not yet entered the spirit of Real Madrid as he should.
In this context, an electronic campaign has spread under the title “Mbappé Out,” demanding the player’s departure from the club, after his movements off the field sparked the anger of a segment of the fans at a moment when the team is experiencing one of its most tense seasons. The campaign is not officially linked to the club, but it expresses an angry public mood rather than an implementable sporting decision.
However, a distinction must be made between the fans’ anger and the club’s position. So far, there are no official indications that Real Madrid is considering parting ways with Mbappé. But the message was clearly received: in Madrid, a big name is not enough. The white shirt lifts the player up if he carries the team, but it becomes too heavy for those who appear to be playing for themselves more than for the group.
A team needs a recovery room
Real Madrid today is not only experiencing a crisis of results, but a crisis of confidence. The dispute between Valverde and Chouamini revealed what was accumulating inside, and Arbeloa’s problems with the players increased the feeling that the dressing room was no longer under control, while Mbappe turned from an expected star into the subject of widespread public anger. Thus, Real Madrid enters the final stage of the season burdened with questions: Who will lead the team? Who controls the locker room? Who pays the price for a season without titles?
What is certain is that the Royal Club needs more than one win in a match to get out of this spiral. It needs a decision, internal restoration, and a redefinition of what it means to play for Real Madrid. The problem is no longer only in the standings, but in the image of a team that, for the first time in a long time, seemed to be losing itself from within.
