Real Madrid players keep quiet around Álvaro Arbeloa amid claims he is Florentino Pérez’s informant | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s dressing room at Carlos Belmonte was funereal after a Copa del Rey exit to Albacete, Álvaro Arbeloa was the only voice, trying to lift spirits and accepting responsibility.

According to El Periódico, entourages of three players said the squad have been told not to speak in front of Arbeloa about club matters, avoiding mention of Florentino Pérez or Xabi Alonso, and they view him as Pérez’s informant.

The dressing room has become the club’s first flashpoint, Carlo Ancelotti left weary of a pampered group, then Kylian Mbappé’s arrival ignited an ego tussle involving Vinícius and Jude Bellingham. Vinícius pushed to be the highest paid, while Bellingham felt overlooked after a standout first season.

Xabi Alonso was undermined. In June, after learning he would be a substitute against Paris Saint-Germain, Vinícius called Pérez and warned he would not renew. That stand was followed by a snub from Federico Valverde in Kazakhstan and calls to Pérez from Bellingham’s mother, and by the clásico half the squad had rebelled.

Arbeloa has tried to win the group with early messages. Post-match he took the blame and thanked Vinícius for wanting to be there and play every minute, a line that raised suspicions and pointed to uninjured absentees from his squad, Courtois, Carreras, Tchouameni and Bellingham.

The stand-off further complicates Arbeloa’s position, with players distrustful. Many believed he was installed by Pérez to keep a direct line into the dressing room, and now they are weighing every word around him.

Source: Superdeporte