The 10 flashpoints setting Real Madrid’s season alight | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s season has been laden with in-fighting and flashpoints, with relationships fraying across the past two campaigns. According to SPORT, a bust-up between Tchouameni and Valverde left the Uruguayan in hospital and forms part of 10 incidents.

The turmoil followed a managerial carousel. Ancelotti departed last season after four years and three glittering campaigns, leaving a complicated legacy. Xabi Alonso lasted about seven months, then Arbeloa inherited a restless dressing room he could not soothe.

At the Club World Cup, Xabi grasped the scale of the egos, and senior players questioned his methods from day one. Removing Vinicius in the Clásico hastened his end. He told the squad he had not expected to be coaching a nursery.

Players including Vinicius, Militao, Trent, Mendy, Bellingham, Brahim, Mastantuono and Endrick were said to have applauded his dismissal, while Mbappé and Courtois stayed neutral. Arbeloa sought a truce with the dressing-room elders, led by Vinicius, but Carvajal, last survivor of the golden era of six Champions League titles in the past 10 seasons, was sidelined.

Carvajal later injured academy player Valdepeñas for a month with a heavy training tackle. Another academy player, Asensio, complained about missing the City tie after playing hurt, and did not feature again until he apologised. Trent was benched for the derby after arriving late.

Tensions spread among players. Rudiger slapped Carreras, which the full-back confirmed on social media before calling it settled. Mbappé also argued with a staff member during training.

The Ceballos row erupted when he confronted Arbeloa over his role and said he wanted no relationship with the coach. He has not been called up since and is unlikely to feature in the final four league games. Mbappé’s ill-timed trip to Italy ended with him landing only 12 minutes before the Espanyol match, which did not go down well with fans, hierarchy or team-mates.

More recently, Valverde and Tchouameni were separated in training to stop another confrontation escalating.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo