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It started with Vinicius openly scorning Alonso when he was substituted in the El Clasico last year, and then Alonso was dismissed the next year. The team doctor misdiagnosed Mbappe's knee injury. Then he was eliminated from the Champions League, and then FIFA revised the "Vinicius Act." During this period, Real Madrid has always been at the forefront of public opinion. On top of that, Mbappe recently took sick leave to play, and was also exposed to insulting assistant coaches during training, Rudiger slapped Carreras, Chuameni and Valverde had a conflict in the locker room… This wealthy team that was the Champions League and La Liga double champion almost two years ago is now rapidly declining.
Valverde caught the wrong mole?
In the 2025-2026 season, it was definitely a disastrous season that would be firmly nailed to the pillar of shame in Real Madrid's history. What's even worse is that such a season has not yet ended. Just on Thursday of this week, after the unimaginable situation of "that Chuameni injured Valverde" broke out, the club held an emergency crisis meeting and planned to cancel the training scheduled for Friday. Some fans couldn't help but sigh: At least there will be no more fights in the future.
Among them, the news "Chuameni injured Valverde and was hospitalized" easily grabbed the headlines of sports pages in various countries. After the incident, Real Madrid immediately held a crisis meeting and announced the launch of a disciplinary investigation process into the incident. Valverde, one of the parties involved, issued an apology to the fans, which also confirmed that the internal strife was true, although he insisted that neither he nor Chuameni took action to hit each other.
The Spanish media quickly collected some relevant information and launched a detailed restoration work on the incident. The "As" newspaper went even further, and then launched a special report like this with rolling updates. According to the information obtained, the initial cause of the incident was during a team training match held on Wednesday. Valverde made a relatively large tackle towards Chuameni, which almost caused the opponent to be injured. Sources revealed that Valverde has actually been dissatisfied with the attitudes shown by some of his teammates in training and games. However, usually he just vents his frustration by kicking the ball with his big feet, but this time it was quite obvious that he was targeting Chuameni for the tackle, which made the latter feel an inexplicable anger. The two had a dispute at the training ground. A teammate tried to persuade Valverde, but was reprimanded in return.
Time passed quickly, and the quarrel that occurred on the training ground was passed on to the media by the "insider". Before training the next day, Chuameni wanted to take the initiative to shake hands with Valverde as a sign of friendship, but was rejected by the other party. In the locker room, players described the day's training as "very uncomfortable" and "unpleasant". The two were full of hostility during the training, and the smell of gunpowder became stronger. When they confronted each other, it was like sparks hitting the earth. Valverde continued to blame Chuameni for leaking the information to reporters, while the Frenchman went to great lengths to deny it. All of this happened within Arbeloa's sight, but he stood aside and watched.
After the training, when they returned to the locker room, the quarrel between the two parties became more and more serious, and there was a push and shove. Some teammates tried to dissuade him, but the injury still occurred. During the entanglement, Valverde slipped and his head hit a low table in the locker room, causing a deep gash on his head. General manager Jose Angel Sanchez happened to be near the locker room when the incident occurred, and when he arrived, Valverde was already lying on the ground. Sanchez then quickly organized an emergency meeting. According to multiple team members, this incident was deemed "the most serious conflict in the history of the Valdebebas base."
Although Valverde's wound was not directly caused by Chuameni, there are reports that Chuameni punched the Uruguayan in the forehead, causing the latter to fall to the ground in an "accident". According to reports, Valverde was briefly dizzy after falling to the ground. After being sent to the infirmary of the training base for examination, he was eventually transferred to the nearest hospital in a wheelchair for stitches. Real Madrid issued an announcement indicating that the Uruguayan suffered a traumatic brain injury and is currently in good condition. He needs to rest for 10 to 14 days. Regardless of the penalty result, he will definitely miss this weekend's national derby.
According to "AS", Carvajal returned to the base at about 4 p.m. after leaving for several hours. As the captain, he was called to attend a key meeting, which was attended by player representatives, coaching staff and club board members. The announcement released by Real Madrid was very short, but the fewer words, the more important the matter. The club The Ministry of Health believes that this is by no means an isolated incident, but reflects the significant deterioration of the team's internal relations at such a sensitive stage. Real Madrid announced that it will launch a disciplinary investigation against the two people. According to the "Ethical Code" on Real Madrid's official website, if the strictest punishment is implemented, the player may have up to 25% of his monthly salary deducted and will be suspended for 30 days. In extremely bad cases, it may even be put up for sale during the summer window.
Arbeloa stood aside
After the news broke, the news of chaos in the Real Madrid locker room suddenly became the key to attracting traffic on the sports pages of various countries. "AS" newspaper selected 12 things in the history of football that made friends and enemies happy. "Chuameni beat Valverde to the hospital" was directly at the top of the list. The second place was the conflict between Luis Enrique and Barcelona teammate Overmars at the training ground in 2003. Many media in Spain also reprinted reports from local media around the world on this matter, using the method of watching in turn to report the astonishment of the friendly countries.
The authoritative French media "L'Equipe" took this opportunity to reveal the cracks in the Real Madrid locker room. It said, "The current situation in the Real Madrid locker room is getting worse and worse. The quarrel between the two people has further exacerbated the crisis in the locker room that was already in a state of fragmentation. The problem started for a long time, and inside the locker room The divisions that have emerged did not just start to show up this week. All of this can be traced back to the period when Alonso was coaching. At that time, the two camps were secretly competing. One side supported Alonso, and the other side was against him. The camp supporting Alonso included the French gang, Courtois, and several new players who joined in the summer window. "
After Alonso dismissed get out of class, Avelo Adam only received the support of Vinicius. It is said that this interim coach has been on bad terms with six players in the team and does not talk to each other at all. "L'Equipe" also added, "Many teammates are dissatisfied with the privileges Mbappe has. In addition to showing disrespect to members of the coaching staff during training, he was 40 minutes late for a recent players' dinner. Teammates felt that his attitude was too individualistic, causing him to become increasingly isolated. Mbappe almost only maintains close relationships with the French players in the team."
According to Ser Radio, Valverde was the instigator in this conflict, and most teammates felt that the Uruguayan was at fault. For example, before the start of training on Thursday morning, Chuameni offered to reconcile. However, Valverde kept accusing Chuameni of being a mole. The Frenchman firmly denied it and in turn accused Valverde, feeling that he was responsible for the original conflict between Alonso and the locker room because Valverde had clearly told Alonso that he did not want to play full-back. Reporter Mayana said: "Many of Fede's teammates think his behavior towards Chuamene was too much.". They felt that the player from Uruguay acted too violently against Chuameni during training. Some people in the locker room told us that they were very disappointed with Valverde.
Manu Carreño, who is the host of Ser Radio, holds the view that in her opinion Arbeloa also bears great responsibility. In her understanding, the conflict between Valverde and Chuameni was not without any signs, and it was definitely not the kind of impulsive act on a whim. We have to understand that things like this often happen in the locker room. But what surprised her most was that they actually started fighting. Moreover, just the day before, they were almost about to fight, but no one came to stop them. Taking into consideration what happened on Wednesday, they found that they were still participating in training together today, and they even started fierce tackles with each other during the training, and then returned to the locker room together. But what was surprising was that no one, including the captain and coach, came forward to stop this series of situations. This really surprised her. Arbeloa has other responsibilities besides coaching games. If you witness what is happening, you should send them home to avoid a worse situation. I'm not saying that Arbeloa should bear responsibility for this, but to be honest, I have never heard of a captain or veteran player being indifferent to this kind of thing.
The players should indeed be punished, but the root cause of the trouble was obviously the management's failure to take responsibility, including the "head coach" Arbeloa who had been standing aside and watching. When Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius can do and say anything without consequences, it's no surprise that others feel they can do whatever they want with impunity. This is the reason for the current situation.
Mourinho, fighting fire with fire?
Although Valverde has always presented himself as a hard-working and obedient boy, according to information revealed by insiders, Valverde has a more impatient personality and is more likely to get angry than Chuameni. Varela, a guest of "Radio Marca", questioned in a program: "As the captain of Real Madrid, if you can't even control yourself about this kind of thing, I don't know what kind of leader you are." Another guest, Manuel Martin, felt that the atmosphere in the Real Madrid locker room was toxic. "They drove the coach almost crazy, and now they are fighting with each other again." Platz feels that the root cause of everything lies in "mismanagement of the club." Kroos left, Modric left, Nacho left, and after old players like Vazquez left, and because Carvajal was injured and played less games, there was a power void in the dressing room. A disappointing season, and doubts surrounding the choice of a better future head coach made this atmosphere more serious.
Jose Felix Dias, the editor-in-chief of "As" newspaper, once said that there were signs last year that something similar was possible, and it was Ancelotti who prevented such a situation. The team has been lacking a leader who can effectively control the team. Ramos left, Kroos left, Modric left, Benzema also left… Carvajal's responsibilities as captain have also been severely affected by injuries. As for the coach, for some reason he lacks authority. The coaching staff failed to connect with the team and experience the support provided by the club, and the players began to believe that they were more important than the club. When that happens, it's clearly the end of the road for this franchise. "
Carreño of Ser Radio also holds a similar view, "Since the beginning of the season, we have continued to state: There are no leaders in the Real Madrid locker room. Vinicius, Rodrygo, Valverde and other players can all be found in the locker room when they are still young. In the same way, Nacho, Carvajal, Modric, Cross, Casemiro, Benzema… they have grown up with these role models. But now, what kind of situation do newcomers like Carreras or Wysson perceive? In the dressing room, the power struggle is extremely fierce, and everyone is fighting… No one can bring order, because there is no leader and no one sets the rules. Chuameni fought fiercely with Valverde, and the latter ended up in the hospital. Rudiger had a conflict with Carreras… You see. "This is not accidental, but the inevitable outcome of the chaos in the locker room throughout the season. We will wait and see whether the new coach can control the situation, or on the contrary, whether they will bring in a fire fighter and cause new problems and make the situation worse."
So who can exercise control over Real Madrid's dressing room? The most frequently discussed figure at the moment is Mourinho. In 2010, Mourinho came to the Bernabeu with the glorious status of the new Champions League champion, and then in the following three years, he launched the most intense confrontation with Barcelona led by Guardiola in all aspects. This confrontation is not only reflected on the field of football matches, but also at the level of public opinion and media. It not only triggers fierce battles externally, but also internally. The Portuguese's acting style always gives people the impression of using disaster-inducing methods to solve immediate difficulties. He once had the ability to quickly rectify the situation in the locker room, and many people felt that he was like a powerful medicine. However, when he left Real Madrid that year, it was precisely because of conflicts with the players that he was counterattacked. Just as the Spanish media said, he was a "firefighter who set fire." Moreover, his coaching trend has been declining for many years. Can the "Magic Bird" continue to maintain good condition?
Some people may say that Mourinho's peak period has passed and his coaching methods are no longer suitable for today's football. But to be honest, the focus is not what he has brought to Real Madrid, but what he can bring to the team now. Benzema said: "Mourinho changed the mentality of the team. He made us firmly believe that we can become the strongest." To a certain extent, Mourinho is like "electric shock therapy", and this is exactly what this team needs at the moment. It is not gentle spiritual comfort, nor is it a sofa for psychological analysis. At certain moments, Mourinho seems to be the most suitable answer.
In just one year, Real Madrid has tried a variety of plans: a warm paternalistic style like Ancelotti's, a very avant-garde modern style like Alonso's, and an opportunistic style like Arbeloa's. However, none of these have produced actual results. Mourinho seems to be a kind of temptation with toxic qualities. The anxious Florentino is very likely to embrace his old football concepts and disgusting authority posture passed down from the past again. However, he is more like a shield that can resist in a crisis situation, rather than a sharp weapon used to counterattack opponents such as Paris, Bayern, and Barcelona that display the characteristics of "beautiful football".
Mourinho 2.0 era? Real Madrid fans, are you ready?
Real Madrid unrest timeline:
On October 26, 2025, in the national derby, when Vinicius was about to be substituted, he openly challenged Alonso's authority.
In November 2025, Real Madrid players complained that Alonso explained many tactical details, but they didn't care at all. During a training session, Alonso was irritated by the players' attitude and cursed loudly: "I'm not here to play football with kindergarten children!".
In December 2025, the team doctor misdiagnosed Mbappe's knee injury. Mbappe played with the injury, and then had to miss 20 days due to the injury.
In January 2026, Pintus once again became the physical fitness director. This decision made by the senior management was completely contrary to Alonso's wishes.
On January 12, 2026, after losing to Barcelona in the Western Super Cup final, Real Madrid unexpectedly announced Alonso's dismissal.
On January 14, 2026, Arbeloa participated in the Copa del Rey debut, encountered the Spanish second division team Albacete, and was eventually eliminated.
On February 10, 2026, Alaba expressed his dissatisfaction to Arbeloa because he was dissatisfied with the relatively small playing time.
February 11, 2026: Rudiger slaps Carreras.
February 2026: Mbappe's knee injury recurred, but Real Madrid still won many key victories.
On March 10, 2026, many of Real Madrid's main players were injured one after another. The medical team was questioned because of this, and it was also revealed by the media that it was unclear whether Mbappe's left knee was injured or his right knee was injured.
On March 11, 2026, Raul Asensio expressed dissatisfaction with Arbeloa because he failed to get a chance to play in the game against Manchester City.
April 23, 2026: The conflict between Arbeloa and Carvajal became public.
May 1, 2026: Ceballos and Arbeloa openly fell out.
On May 3, 2026, Mbappe missed the game due to recuperation from injury, but went to Italy for vacation with his girlfriend.
On May 6, 2026, Valverde and Chuameni had an argument during training, and the matter was reported by the media.
In 2026, on May 7, Valverde and Chuameni had a physical conflict in the locker room. Valverde suffered a bruise on his forehead and was sent to the hospital for stitches.