Real Madrid are finishing the 2025/26 season with nothing to show for it — no cups, no title, and a dressing room that has come apart at the seams. What began as a disappointing campaign on the pitch has since revealed something far more troubling behind closed doors at Valdebebas, where Aurélien Tchouaméni and a cast of feuding stars have pushed the club into full crisis mode.
The season started going wrong almost immediately. A Spanish Super Cup final defeat to FC Barcelona triggered the dismissal of manager Xabi Alonso, who was replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa. His debut in charge ended in humiliation — a Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Albacete. The Champions League ended at the quarterfinals. La Liga is effectively over, with Barcelona on the verge of celebrating the title in Real Madrid‘s faces. But the ugliest moments never made the scoreboard.
Aurélien Tchouaméni Sends Valverde to the Hospital
The most shocking incident of the season came during a routine training session when Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde clashed after a tackle. The confrontation escalated from pushing and shoving into a heated argument that followed both players off the pitch and into the locker room. There, Tchouaméni struck Valverde, leaving the Uruguayan with a head injury that required a hospital visit.
It is difficult to overstate how serious the Tchouaméni incident is for a club already in crisis. Aurélien Tchouaméni has had a difficult season by any measure, but nothing in his profile suggested this was coming. That a physical altercation between two senior midfielders ended with one player hospitalized speaks to just how badly the environment at Valdebebas had deteriorated. Tchouaméni now carries that moment into whatever comes next for this squad.
A Captain Misused and a Dressing Room Already Simmering
Long before Tchouaméni and Valverde came to blows, tension had already been building. Federico Valverde, the club captain, was repeatedly deployed at right back by Xabi Alonso despite being a natural central midfielder. His frustration was visible and well known internally. When Arbeloa took over, the same issue persisted, keeping Valverde on edge throughout the season.
Vinicius Jr. added his own flashpoint during the first El Clásico. Substituted with around 20 minutes remaining, he gestured his displeasure, walked straight past Alonso without acknowledgment, and disappeared into the tunnel. The moment played out live in front of millions and said everything about the mood inside the camp.
Mbappé’s Absences Fuel Resentment
No individual generated more internal anger this season than Kylian Mbappé. The forward was granted repeated leaves of absence, officially for injury treatment. One absence led to a dinner in Paris. Another placed him on vacation in Italy with actress Ester Expósito while his teammates absorbed a La Liga defeat to Barcelona without him.
The backlash inside the dressing room was severe. When Mbappé returned ahead of El Clásico — reportedly pushed back in part by social media pressure — the resentment had already taken root. He then clashed with a member of Arbeloa’s staff during training over an offside call in a practice drill, a minor situation that reportedly turned heated and illustrated just how fragile the atmosphere had become.
Rüdiger, Carreras, Carvajal — the Incidents Keep Coming
The problems extended well beyond Mbappé and Tchouaméni. Antonio Rüdiger and Álvaro Carreras were involved in a physical altercation, with reports indicating Rüdiger struck Carreras during a dispute. Carreras addressed it on Instagram, calling it minor and resolved — though the broader context made that hard to believe.
Dani Carvajal drew sharp internal criticism after making a reckless challenge on Valdepeñas, a reserve team defender, during a training session before the Osasuna match. The tackle sidelined the young player for over a month and further damaged Carvajal’s already strained standing with the coaching staff.
Real Madrid will spend the summer rebuilding — not just the squad, but something harder to fix. A dressing room this fractured does not reset with a transfer window. It requires something closer to a complete cultural overhaul, and right now, nobody inside Valdebebas seems to know where to start.
Source: Sports Illustrated
