“This is the healthiest locker room I’ve ever had.” Carlo Ancelotti He repeated that phrase on several occasions during his last stage in the real Madrid. a template no egos in which human treatment was one of the keys to a virtuous cycle of victories. They have passed exactly 601 days since that reflection until the confrontation between Valverde and Tchouaméni. At that time they left Kroos, Nacho and Joselu in the summer of 2024. A year later they also released Modric and Lucas Vázquezthe last references of a wardrobe that contributed order, hierarchy and discipline.
Their departures help to understand the decomposition of a squad that has hit rock bottom as is rarely remembered in the white club. In that context, The six exclusives published by MARCA have been portrayingstep by step, the chronology of an internal crisis marked by constant tensions between players and coaching staff. And this season, Madrid has tried two very different ways of managing the locker room.
The consequences of the fight between Valverde and Tchouaméni: succession of statements and medical report
The first was that of Xabi Alonsowhich arrived with the intention of impose greater discipline to correct an inheritance that I already sensed was problematic. He wanted to raise the demands, especially on the tactical level, but lost the fight with several heavyweights and ended up leaving through the back door in January. Then it came Arbeloa with a more conciliatory profile. Its landing returned prominence to several members of the winning sidebut that truce ended up being just a mirage. That’s where the beginning of the end began.
The first big notice came on January 13, just one day after his dismissal. It was the first of the exclusives that ended up drawing the fall of the white locker room. “I didn’t know I was coming to train at a daycare center!”. Xabi Alonso exploded during training after the Classictired of the bad faces, the lack of intensity and the low comments of a staff that did not follow the level of demand that it wanted to implement. It was a cry of frustration that marked a point of no return.
Arbeloa-Ceballos Summit
A month later came another episode of maximum tension. BRAND revealed the face to face between Arbeloa and Carvajal after the replacement of the captain in Mestalla. The images next to Pintus At the end of the game, with gestures of obvious anger, they already reflected a discomfort that went far beyond a simple technical decision. What should have served to reduce tension ended up aggravating the fracture. Carvajal continued to lose prominence while being in the World Cup was at stake and, after his latest injury, he will only be able to reappear in the last game of the season. Without renewal, without the World Cup and perhaps without the farewell he deserves, His departure began to take shape in that conflict.
After a few weeks of calm driven by the results, a new focus of conflict appeared. MARCA uncovered the silent disappearance of Asencio. Annoyed by his substitution against City, the central defender went to the office Arbeloa accompanied by a doctor to report some muscle discomfort that prevented him from playing against Elche. The coach understood that the player was being removed from the game and the tension skyrocketed when he had to inform Rüdiger that he would not rest.
While Arbeloa waited for a public apology, Asencio avoided giving explanations to the group. “Does anyone have anything to say?”the coach asked in front of the locker room. The center remained silent. He only reacted when his absences began to be linked to his nightlife. Then he apologized to his teammates and, especially, to Rüdiger..
Explosive Ceballos case.
Last week another internal fire broke out. “I have asked the coach not to have a relationship”. That phrase came from Ceballos himself after leaving the coach’s office. The club was immediately informed of a new conflict and there was no attempt to reduce the tension or cover up what happened. Shortly after, Madrid confirmed that the player was left out of the squad due to a technical decision. As stated BRAND last March 27, His departure seems irreversible and this will be his last season in white..
Monumental fight
Two days ago another explosive episode occurred. It all started with a game action during training. Valverde and Tchouaméni They faced each other, pushed each other and had a very heated discussion that continued later in the locker room. The incident spread like wildfire Valdebebas and revealed a worrying reality: There are players who practically have no relationship with each other. The club tried to downplay it, presenting it as a common friction during a game. The reality was very different.
The next day, everything blew up. Valverde refused to shake Tchouaméni’s hand at the beginning of the session and training started in a completely hostile climate. The tension ended up leading to a fight in the locker room. The Uruguayan ended up in the hospital to receive stitches. Real Madrid closed the day by issuing an official statement announcing the opening of disciplinary files against both players. MARCA’s last exclusive was also the most serious. And maybe it won’t be the last.
