Inside Real Madrid’s Dressing Room Civil War over Xabi Alonso | OneFootball

The clock inside the press room at Valdebebas is ticking toward the future of many at the club. Six months into his highly anticipated return as Real Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso is presiding over a squad fracturing into two distinct camps. What began as a promising new Galáctico era has instead descended into a Real Madrid dressing room split that now threatens to derail the season.

The narrative is clear: on one side stands an increasingly isolated manager and a small group of loyalists; on the other, several of the club’s most celebrated and expensive talents, led by the man who effectively started the rift, Vinícius Júnior.

When did the Real Madrid dressing room split?

The root cause remains Vinícius Júnior’s substitution during the 2–1 El Clásico win. What was initially downplayed has now metastasized into something far bigger. With Vinícius’ contract expiring in 2027, sources close to the player have made one thing clear to club president Florentino Pérez: there will be no renewal as long as Xabi Alonso remains in charge.

Real Madrid does not entertain player-coach standoffs lightly. This is a cold, ruthless institution that has never hesitated to freeze out legends or say goodbye without a final word. A five-time UCL winner in Gareth Bale rotted on the bench in his final years. The club’s icon of the modern era Cristiano Ronaldo was sent packing as soon his wage demands were deemed excessive. Iker Casillas was booted off to Porto in tears. Yet even by Real Madrid standards, questioning a manager’s authority has never been so direct a challenge as we are witnessing in front of our eyes now.

Vinícius is the team’s second-highest scorer with five goals in 16 appearances this season. But he has reportedly grown frustrated with his restricted role under Alonso’s structured 3-4-2-1 formation. His outburst on the sidelines during the Clásico, shouting a frustrated “I’m leaving the club, it’s better if I leave” as he walked off, confirmed the tension.

But Vinícius is not alone. And now the whispers within the club have become public knowledge.

How is the Real Madrid dressing room split?

According to COPE journalist and occasional Real Madrid TV guest Arancha Rodriguez, the players who are reportedly not happy with the manager are:

Some of these are senior members of the club who are discontent with the tactical choices and way of playing under Alonso. For players like Rodrygo or Endrick, the discomfort is more about playing time and undefined roles that clash with the coach’s rigid system.

In contrast, COPE reports the players backing Xabi Alonso include:

Two out of these five are new signings, and did not experience the atmosphere under Carlo Ancelotti last season. Arda Güler has had a career revival under Alonso after stagnating on the bench for years at the club. Courtois has publicly dismissed claims that the dressing room is in turmoil and maintained that the media is focusing too much on this. The presence of Kylian Mbappé among the names supporting the coach is particularly notable. Mbappé is a powerful voice in the dressing room and his support is meaningful given his enormous influence both on and off the pitch.

Together, these factions illustrate the core of the Real Madrid dressing room split.

How Different is Alonso’s Style?

Alonso arrived from Bayer Leverkusen with a reputation for sharp tactics and a preference for a controlled, possession-based game. His insistence on a flowing 3-4-2-1 system, which he believes provides defensive solidity and midfield control, has been met with resistance from players more accustomed to the 4-3-3 shape that brought immense success at Madrid.

Despite leading La Liga with 32 points from 13 games, Real Madrid’s recent form is concerning. A 1–0 Champions League loss to Liverpool at Anfield, a 0–0 draw at Rayo Vallecano and an unconvincing 2–2 draw at Elche have exposed cracks. The overreliance on Mbappé is stark: the Frenchman has scored 13 league goals, nearly three times as many as Vinícius, highlighting a failure to create goals from secondary sources.

The next set of fixtures before Christmas will define everything. A run of wins and a consistent lineup can bury the tension. More dropped points or public flashpoints will make the Real Madrid dressing room split impossible to contain. While today’s 4 -3 win over Olympiacos was a win, it didn’t answer all the questions.

What Pérez Said

The club’s leadership, led by Florentino Pérez, is navigating a delicate internal battle. Publicly, the message is one backing Alonso: “He is the boss,” as reported by Marca. Alonso’s contract runs until June 2028, and the board is reluctant to set a dangerous precedent by allowing player power to instantly dictate a manager’s sacking. 

Diario AS have reported that the board informed the squad that Xabi Alonso remains fully supported and that the dressing room must align behind him. With the president backing the coach, responsibility now shifts to the squad to restore normality and put this unnecessary drama behind them.

The civil war at Real Madrid has truly escalated. For the first time in years, a Real Madrid manager is navigating open revolt. Whether he will be able to turn it around and reunite the squad, remains to be seen.