Real Madrid meet Clasico rivals Barcelona on Sunday in a state of high tension and disarray, with anything but a victory handing the Catalans the La Liga title.
Alvaro Arbeloa’s side trail the reigning champions by 11 points with four matches remaining and are sinking towards a second straight season without a major trophy.
At a club that values success above all else, it is perhaps not surprising that Madrid are in meltdown, cracking under the strain.
The mood around the club has become toxic. Fans are protesting against star player Kylian Mbappe for a perceived lack of commitment, while two training ground bust-ups have been reported.
Exacerbating the situation, president Florentino Perez is weighing up a dramatic managerial twist, with former coach Jose Mourinho linked with a return to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Current incumbent Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso in January, is at loggerheads with several players.
Amid the maelstrom, defender Ferland Mendy was ruled out for around five months with a thigh injury. When it rains, it pours.
Madrid’s preparations for the Clasico have been far from ideal.
Midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde almost came to blows on Wednesday after a foul in training, according to newspaper Marca.
“The differences between players are evident, and some barely speak to each other,” wrote the Spanish daily of the tension at the club.
“Living with Alvaro Arbeloa is also difficult, in a context where pressure and exhaustion have finally reached their breaking point — as many as six players refuse to speak to him.”
It follows another reported issue between defenders Antonio Rudiger and Alvaro Carreras a fortnight ago, which the latter said had been dealt with.
“Regarding the incident with a team-mate, it was an isolated, unimportant issue, which has since been resolved,” said Carreras on Instagram this week. “My relationship with the whole team is very good.”
Carreras, usually first choice at left-back, was pictured laughing after Fran Garcia replaced the injured Mendy in that position instead of him during Sunday’s win at Espanyol.
Mbappe criticism
Mbappe is a doubt for the Clasico because of a hamstring injury, with the forward heavily criticised by fans after he went on holiday to Sardinia during his recovery process.
An “Mbappe Out” petition asking for change for the sake of the club’s future claims to have nearly 30 million signatures.
A source from Mbappe’s camp told AFP the criticism of the team’s top goalscorer was exaggerated. However even coach Arbeloa, who has treated his superstars with kid gloves, indicated he wanted more dedication.
“We didn’t build Real Madrid with players who play in tuxedos, but with players who finish matches with shirts full of sweat and mud, through effort and sacrifice,” said Arbeloa after Madrid beat Espanyol without Mbappe, to delay Barca’s title celebrations.
Adding volatile former coach Mourinho into the situation appears a reckless choice but the Portuguese coach is seemingly Perez’s favourite candidate to take over.
The Madrid president has respected Mourinho since his controversy packed 2010-2013 spell at the club, which disrupted Pep Guardiola’s dominant Barcelona side and contributed to the Catalan coach’s burnout and ultimate decision to depart.
Madrid are a team which have lost a lot of leaders in recent years — Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez, to name a few.
From the most optimistic standpoint Mourinho could galvanise the bulk of the squad behind him and restore order to a dressing room which has lost discipline. Many believe it would just end in flames.
First Madrid must get on with the business of seeing Barca crowned champions — but even at a divided club, nobody wants that to be in front of their faces this weekend at Camp Nou.
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