Inside Real Madrid’s dramatic descent into violence and chaos before El Clasico

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Even for a membership as conversant in excessive drama as Real Madrid, this has been an explosive previous few days. A window has been blown open on simply how dysfunctional and poisonous the environment has change into.

This week, we realized Antonio Rudiger was concerned in an altercation with fellow defender Alvaro Carreras at Madrid’s coaching floor — and that, later in April, striker Kylian Mbappe insulted a coaching-staff member during a practice game.

Then, on Wednesday morning, information broke of a clash in training between midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.

On Thursday, much more outrageously, the identical two gamers have been concerned in a extra severe incident — a dressing-room battle that ended with a bleeding Valverde being knocked unconscious and taken to hospital.

This article, knowledgeable by conversations with a number of well-placed sources — who every requested to talk anonymously to guard relationships — tells the story of precisely what occurred, and explains why it’s anticipated to result in severe penalties.

Madrid’s terrible 2025-26 season is heading in direction of a really undignified finish, with numerous uncertainty, acrimony and literal infighting. Sources current on the coaching floor yesterday stated it was “very sad, everything that is happening”, including: “The club has a huge problem.”

On Sunday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s aspect visits arch-rivals Barcelona for El Clasico. They should win or Barca will retain their La Liga title — confirming a second successive marketing campaign and not using a main trophy for Madrid within the course of.

Judging by this week, although, that’s the least of their worries.

Let’s begin with the main points round Valverde and Tchouameni, who’ve been Madrid team-mates for the reason that latter’s arrival on the membership in June 2022.

In coaching on Wednesday morning, the 2 gamers have been concerned in a dispute after Tchouameni took exception to what he felt was an excessively robust sort out from Valverde. The dispute continued into the dressing room after the session, and different squad members needed to step in to de-escalate.

With that, membership sources insisted that the pair had made their peace. What occurred subsequent confirmed that it was not the case.

On Thursday, Valverde got here in for coaching and shook fingers with everybody aside from Tchouameni, sources stated. Then within the day’s session, the Uruguayan hit the Frenchman with a sequence of robust challenges, to which Tchouameni didn’t react.

The subsequent portion of the coaching session concerned the gamers being divided into two sides. Coaching workers determined to place Valverde and Tchouameni in the identical one, and sources stated Valverde made a remark about this to his team-mate — suggesting to Tchouameni he was fortunate to keep away from having to face him.

After the session, again within the dressing room, Tchouameni requested Valverde to come back over to the place he was, and was then insulted by him. Tchouameni then struck the 27-year-old. The two started to tussle and Valverde banged his head on a desk, dropping consciousness.

He was additionally bleeding, and there was an incredible diploma of concern about his situation within the room, together with from Tchouameni. He regained consciousness and was taken to hospital, accompanied by a membership physician, and returned house after being checked over.

Back within the dressing room, executives together with Madrid’s normal director Jose Angel Sanchez appeared. He was offended by what he heard had occurred and stated the membership would take motion, emphasizing it was not acceptable for gamers to be preventing.

On Thursday night, Madrid launched an announcement saying “disciplinary proceedings” could be opened in opposition to Valverde and Tchouameni, nevertheless it was not precisely clear what type of punishment the membership would pursue. Sources shut to 2 senior gamers speculated it might be “impossible” for each Valverde and Tchouameni to remain on the membership past this season.

Reflecting on what occurred, a number of sources with intimate data of the Madrid dressing room stated Valverde was the one in charge, that he had provoked Tchouameni in a sample of habits they have been already conversant in. One supply stated the Uruguay worldwide “has been like this all year”, including that his angle was “unworthy of a captain”. That view was supported by others with an extended historical past on the membership.

Sources near Valverde didn’t present a reply to TheAthletic‘s request for touch upon these claims.

Federico Valverde is one among Madrid’s captains, as one of many membership’s longest-serving gamers (Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

On Thursday night, Valverde launched an announcement denying that he had been hit, nor that he had hit a team-mate. He stated there had been “a disagreement,” throughout the course of which he “accidentally banged my head against a table, causing a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital.” Sources stated he wrote the assertion himself.

Valverde added: “I’m sorry that my anger at the situation, my frustration at seeing that some of us are reaching the end of the season with our last ounce of strength, giving it our all, got the better of me at the point of arguing with a team-mate.”

Madrid additionally launched an announcement confirming he had suffered a head harm and been recognized with a “cranioencephalic traumatism.”

“Valverde is at home in good condition and will have to rest for 10 to 14 days, as per medical protocols for this diagnosis,” the assertion continued.

The timeline guidelines Valverde out of El Clasico. Madrid’s final three video games of the season comply with that, on May 14, May 17 and May 24 (though the date for this ultimate fixture has not but been confirmed).

As the mud settled on this violent episode, sources mirrored on how, when Madrid doesn’t have something to play for, such issues can come up. Several of them have appeared directly this week.

In principle, La Liga es nonetheless to play for. Madrid beat Espanyol 2-0 on Sunday night, with the victory making certain that Barca must wait at the very least per week longer to be topped champions, and avoiding any likelihood of Arbeloa’s crew having to carry out a guard of honor for his or her greatest rivals on the Camp Nou this Sunday.

Vinicius Junior’s two glorious targets in that sport have been instantly overshadowed by a media storm round Mbappe taking a controversially-timed break in Sardinia along with his actress companion Ester Exposito whereas the French attacker was purported to be working laborious to get better from a hamstring harm in time for El Clasico.

Mbappe’s non-public aircraft touchdown at an airport in Madrid shortly before kick-off in his crew’s away match at Espanyol, who’re primarily based in Barcelona, ​​was not nicely obtained by followers or pundits.

This got here as phrase was filtering out about Mbappe being concerned in a flare-up with a member of Arbeloa’s workers throughout a current coaching train. Sources stated the celebrity ahead spoke angrily and insultingly in direction of a coach who had referred to as him offside whereas performing as an assistant referee throughout a observe sport. This occurred within the days main as much as the 1-1 draw at Real Betis on April 24 (throughout which Mbappe’s most up-to-date harm occurred).

On Tuesday morning, Mbappe’s representatives responded to TheAthletic‘s request for touch upon his training-ground dispute and the environment at Madrid with the next assertion: “A portion of the criticism is based on an over-interpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club, and does not reflect the reality of Kylian’s commitment and daily work for the team.”

That night, Madrid left-back Carreras admitted in an Instagram put up to an incident that had taken place with a team-mate. This was a reference to a heated argument with Rudiger on the coaching floor, one thing the latter has since apologized for.

On Wednesday night time, following the primary incident between Tchouameni and Valverde in coaching, Barcelona’s social media crew confirmed they have been paying consideration within the build-up to Sunday’s massive sport.

One massive household 🫶 pic.twitter.com/PeByf2MfKd

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 6, 2026

Severe stress has been brewing for a while.

Since Madrid’s most up-to-date Champions League ultimate victory in 2024, the environment throughout the dressing room has considerably deteriorated. On the pitch, the crew’s performances have change into extra disjointed.

During 2024-25, Carlo Ancelotti’s ultimate season as supervisor, sources throughout the teaching workers and near senior squad members warned that the group had change into very troublesome to handle, with persona clashes and squabbling egos clear, because the crew fell aside within the greatest video games.

Xabi Alonso was appointed as head coach early final summer time with a quick to carry extra group and order. Yet the primary half of this season noticed a big variety of senior gamers insurgent in opposition to his strategies — most clearly when Vinicius Jr openly defied Alonso during October’s Clasico on the Bernabeu. Valverde was additionally sad beneath the Spaniard.

The membership hierarchy’s response was in charge Alonso for being unable to regulate the dressing room, fairly than self-discipline any gamers for not doing as they have been advised. There are additionally issues in regards to the energy and entry of the entourages across the crew’s massive stars.

The scenario has arguably worsened since Arbeloa’s promotion from reserve-team supervisor following the sacking of Alonso in January. A sizeable group of gamers are sad with how they’ve been handled by the 43-year-old. There have additionally been clear on-pitch indicators of discord between team-mates, such because the offended trade between Vinicius Jr and midfielder Jude Bellingham late in Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat by Bayern Munich final month.

Alvaro Arbeloa on the sidelines throughout Sunday’s 2-0 win at Espanyol (Josep Lago/AFP by way of Getty Images)

With little left to play for, a lot of the frustration has boiled over. The entire scenario suggests a dressing room which is uncontrolled, reflecting a complete lack of authority from Arbeloa — and additionally a whole absence of management from the very high of the membership. A Madrid spokesperson described that characterization as “totally false” when approached for remark by TheAthletic.

Sources say the departures of senior gamers equivalent to Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Nacho Fernandez and Lucas Vazquez over current years have eliminated optimistic examples, skilled leaders and robust characters from the dressing room. Older gamers within the squad together with Dani Carvajal and David Alaba have had peripheral roles all season, and are possible simply weeks away from leaving themselves.

Arbeloa stays in cost, for now.

Given different membership figures hardly ever come ahead to speak publicly about troublesome conditions, a grievance typically heard from gamers’ entourages, the rookie coach must attempt to clarify the image at Saturday’s pre-Clasico information convention. He will accomplish that beneath a normal expectation that he is not going to be round subsequent season. TheAthletic has reported that former Madrid supervisor Jose Mourinho is club president Florentino Perez’s favored candidate to replace Arbeloa.

Even a optimistic end result on the Camp Nou on Sunday is unlikely to calm issues for lengthy.

There will probably be a heated environment for subsequent Thursday’s La Liga sport at house in opposition to struggling Real Oviedo, when the Bernabeu followers will get one other likelihood to vent their frustrations, as they’ve accomplished on a number of events already this time period — with Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, Bellingham and Perez all targeted.

It all factors to massive adjustments this summer time.

High-profile exits could also be required to take away private tensions between team-mates, and would additionally assist increase cash to strengthen the squad and make it extra balanced and aggressive.

All the chaos may also feed an thought {that a} robust chief is required within the dugout to impose order. It might not be coincidental that details about so many incidents that are normally hushed up has come out simply as Perez is outwardly advancing an choice to re-appoint Mourinho for a second spell as coach.

Additional reporting: David Ornstein