What was meant to be a week focused entirely on a high-stakes El Clasico against Barcelona has instead been overshadowed by reports of internal strife and crisis within Real Madrid’s locker room.
A loss to Barcelona on Sunday would hand their fiercest rivals a second consecutive La Liga title. Yet while Barcelona—who were recently mired in their own turmoil—continue to thrive, Real Madrid find themselves in chaos, fueled by fan discontent, managerial uncertainty, and allegations of player altercations.
BBC Sport examines the events of the past week and why they have sparked fresh concerns about a season unraveling both on and off the pitch.
**Altercations, a Petition, and Disciplinary Issues**
On Wednesday, Spanish media reported that midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni had a heated verbal exchange during training. Valverde later confirmed the incident, and sources indicate the situation escalated on Thursday at Real’s training facility.
According to sources speaking to BBC Sport, the argument continued after practice and ended with Valverde being taken to the hospital with a head injury following a dressing room confrontation. Valverde denied physical violence, stating in a statement that the injury occurred when he “accidentally hit a table” during the dispute.
On Thursday evening, the Uruguayan midfielder issued a lengthy statement clarifying he suffered “a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital” and refuted claims that either player struck the other.
An emergency meeting was subsequently convened, involving club president Florentino Perez, members of the coaching staff, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, and captain Dani Carvajal.
Real Madrid then released two statements. The first confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been opened against both players, promising updates “once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed.” The second was a medical update confirming Valverde suffered a concussion and would need 10 to 14 days of rest, ruling him out of Sunday’s El Clasico.
“Clearly, someone here is spreading rumors, and with a season without titles, where Real Madrid is always under scrutiny, everything gets blown out of proportion,” Valverde said.
On Friday, Real announced that both players had “apologized to each other, the club, and their teammates” and were each fined 500,000 euros (approximately £432,037.50).
**Dressing Room Divides**
Defender Alvaro Carreras also responded this week to reports linking him to a separate disagreement with teammate Antonio Rudiger. Without naming the player, Carreras wrote on Instagram: “In recent days, certain insinuations and comments about me have emerged that do not correspond to reality. Regarding the incident with a colleague, it is a specific matter of no relevance that has already been settled. My relationship with the whole team is very good.”
**’Mbappe Out’ Petition**
Reports of tension between specific players have followed broader claims of unrest within the squad. There has been increased scrutiny on superstar forward Kylian Mbappe.
The French striker has scored 85 goals in 100 appearances since arriving at the Bernabeu, but recently became the center of controversy after traveling to Sardinia during a recovery period for a hamstring injury suffered against Real Betis. While the trip was approved by the club, photos of the forward on a yacht circulated online while Real was playing.
