Real Madrid arrives at the Clásico at one of the most delicate moments of the season, not only because of the sporting aspect, but because of what is happening behind closed doors. Clashes between players, public controversies, and doubts about leadership have marked a week that has forced Álvaro Arbeloa to step forward to contain the fire.
The origin: Valverde and Tchouaméni
It all began on Wednesday, when Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni starred in a confrontation in training at Valdebebas. Far from remaining a specific episode, the clash moved to the locker room the following day.
During that discussion, Valverde slipped, hit his head against a table and had to be taken to the hospital, which increased concern in the club. Real Madrid reacted by opening a disciplinary file on both players.
Valverde himself wanted to lower the tension with a statement: “At no time did my teammate hit me, nor did I hit him”.
A broken locker room
But the conflict did not stop there. In parallel, the player Álvaro Carreras posted on social media that Antonio Rüdiger had hit him in the locker room, fueling the feeling of internal lack of control.
In addition, the environment of Kylian Mbappé had to issue a statement to justify his vacations in Italy with the actress Ester Expósito, amid criticism for his involvement at a key moment of the season.
A structural problem in the locker room
Inside the club, the diagnosis goes beyond isolated incidents. There is talk of inflated egos without results to back them up, lack of internal leadership, and attitudes that would not have been tolerated in other stages.
The comparison with figures like Kroos, Modric or Nacho is inevitable. It is also worrying that two different coaching staffs —including the current one— have had their authority questioned by the locker room.
"I am not going to burn them at a public stake"
In this context, the press conference of Álvaro Arbeloa generated enormous expectation. The coach did not shy away from the topic and assumed the weight of the situation from the first moment.
“I have to say two things. First, I am very proud of the club’s decisiveness, speed, and transparency. And second, that the players have acknowledged their mistake, expressed their regret, and asked for forgiveness. For me, that is enough,” he stated. And he added firmly: “What I am not going to do is burn them at a public stake, because they don’t deserve it.”
Arbeloa not only protected Valverde and Tchouaméni, but also extended his support to the entire squad. Faced with criticism for a lack of professionalism, he was forceful: "I am not going to allow this to be used to question their professionalism: it is a lie that they are not professionals, that they have disrespected me... it is absolutely a lie".
Furthermore, he flatly denied that a conflict exists between him and the locker room, one of the rumors that had gained the most traction in recent days.
Arbeloa uses identity
In one of the most personal moments of the appearance, Arbeloa recalled the figure of Juanito, a historic Real Madrid player: “He is the paradigm of what a Real Madrid player should be. He never made a mistake. He understood what Real Madrid is, he gave his all”.
A message that many interpret as an indirect reference to the need to recover certain values within the locker room.
The Clásico, with the focus shifted
All this happens on the eve of a decisive Clásico at the Camp Nou. Real Madrid is not only playing for the result: if they don't win, they could witness FC Barcelona's League celebration.
However, the match has taken a backseat to the internal crisis. The team arrives with doubts, with a locker room under pressure, and with its coach trying to mend the situation.
The question is no longer just what will happen on the field, but if Real Madrid will be able to recompose itself from within at the most critical moment of the season.