Storm at Real Madrid: dressing room upset, Arbeloa weakened

It looks more like a late-season soap opera than a simple slump. At Real Madrid, tensions would have risen a notch internally as the 2025-2026 season stalls. According to several corroborating sources, part of the locker room would no longer hide their annoyance toward Alvaro Arbeloa. The cause: a perceived unbalance in how the squad is managed, with insufficient playing time given to certain Spanish players. A frustration that adds to results well below the club’s standards.

Arrived barely six months ago to replace Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa has not managed to turn things around. Eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey and then knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Merengues also trail by eleven points to FC Barcelona in La Liga. With five matchdays remaining, the specter of a trophyless season is growing. According to Guillermo Rai, a journalist for The Athletic, the malaise goes beyond results. Several senior players would reproach their coach for relying almost exclusively on his stars, regardless of their current form, while considering certain elements untouchable. A line of conduct that would have ended up fracturing the relationship with part of the group.

Despite the opportunity offered by this late-season with nothing major at stake, Arbeloa would not have changed his policy, continuing to favor his usual starting XI. A choice that raises questions internally, as some players hoped to take advantage of these final matches to make their case. In this context, the future of the Madrid coach seems already sealed. Behind the scenes, the club leadership would be actively preparing the succession for next summer. And a name is coming back with insistence: José Mourinho, currently on Benfica’s bench and a former Real Madrid man between 2010 and 2013.

Asked by Mundo Deportivo, the Portuguese coach, however, cooled the mood: “ No one from Real Madrid has contacted me. I can guarantee you that. I have one year left on my contract with Benfica. ” In Madrid, the atmosphere remains uncertain. Between an announced end of cycle and speculation about the future of the bench, the White House is set to experience a turbulent summer.