Real Madrid’s dressing room explodes as another player fight reported

So many sparks eventually ignited a conflagration. Real Madrid’s training ground, the other house on fire. A training ground caught in a scorching climate that, far from cooling down, seems only to be intensifying. And it is no longer just taking up space, it is causing real concern. It had been many years since Real Madrid experienced a season with so much internal turmoil. Since the temperature had risen this high. The grey sofa, worn from overuse, must have started to lose its colour. If it was even still being used at all.

A slap from Rüdiger to Carreras; a row between Mbappé and a member of the coaching staff during training; Valverde and Tchouaméni squaring up to one another. Examples of a much broader picture. Of a season to forget. Of a dressing room on fire.

Some trace the origin back to October 26: Vinicius exploded after being substituted in the Clásico. There are theories suggesting that moment marked a turning point in the season. That the dressing room began to stir, to spiral out of control. That the train started to derail. Perhaps it was only the first drop in a glass still far from overflowing, but now it finally has. And spectacularly so. Episodes such as Mbappé travelling to France to treat his knee after a faulty diagnosis in Madrid only fuelled the discontent. In the end, everything became a crescendo.

And if there is one moment widely identified as the true turning point, it was the conspiracy dinner. February 10, that night. The photograph was supposed to symbolise the unity of the dressing room before the decisive stretch of the season. But it has not aged well, bordering on disastrously. The very next day, the first major incident occurred: Rüdiger slapped Carreras. It happened during an argument and remained hidden for a long time. Three months, to be precise. But it has finally come to light.

There was another incident in February: Carvajal made an extremely hard tackle in training and injured Valdepeñas. He ended up sidelined for a month with a knee sprain. At Valdebebas, it is acknowledged that the challenge was excessive, incomprehensible even. That, too, eventually faded into the background. Eliminating Benfica and dispelling fears of an early Champions League exit seemed to calm things down for a while. But the waters soon turned turbulent again.

And how. March arrived: Asencio, punished. After pushing himself to play at Balaídos just nine days after suffering a severe neck strain, he was furious to find himself on the bench against Manchester City. And it did not end there. He spoke with Arbeloa and openly expressed his frustration with the decision, something the coach did not appreciate. In the following match, against Elche, he arrived at the training ground that very morning accompanied by a doctor, claiming muscle discomfort in his right leg. He became a last-minute absence, forcing Rüdiger, who had been due a rest, to play instead. That did not go down well. The conclusion within the dressing room was straightforward: he would not return to another matchday squad until he apologised to his teammates.

March brought another chapter: Arbeloa left Trent on the bench for derby night because of his lateness. Yet another episode added to the growing turmoil. And it would only intensify.

Then came April and the explosion of the ‘Ceballos case’. One that continues to this day, and likely will for some time. Arbeloa stopped counting on him after a heated argument in which Dani vented his anger over the situation: no playing time, overlooked in favour of academy players, and increasingly exasperated. The tension stemmed from veiled social media comments (“we don’t have many friends here; loyalty is expensive,” Ceballos posted) and culminated in a terse response from Arbeloa during a press conference: “I bring on the players I consider appropriate.”

His reply regarding Carvajal shortly afterwards was equally blunt, again in a press conference: “If you’ll allow me, I’m going to think about what’s best for my team.” Just 15 words to address the situation of the captain, a club legend, in a media appearance where he otherwise spoke at length about the rest of the squad: Mbappé, Camavinga, Bellingham and others. It did not sit well. The tension was so evident that Arbeloa appeared noticeably warmer at the following press conference. But by then, the relationship with Carvajal already seemed beyond repair.

Much like the day-to-day atmosphere inside the dressing room itself.

Then came Mbappé in April. First, there was a heated exchange with a member of the coaching staff during training. It did not escalate too far, but it became yet another straw on the pile. Then, weeks later, came the controversy surrounding his trip to Italy. It was badly received by fans, management and teammates alike. Many felt that, at such a fragile moment for the team, an image of unity was desperately needed. The squad needed to stay together, even if some players were unavailable to play. His arrival back in Madrid just 12 minutes before the match against Espanyol only made matters worse. It was not well received at all. In fact, there are already rumours about how the Bernabéu will greet Kylian next Thursday against Real Oviedo.

And so we arrive at the latest episode. During Wednesday’s training session, as reported by Marca, Valverde and Tchouaméni were involved in a heated confrontation. It followed a tackle: tempers flared, there was pushing and shoving, and teammates had to separate them. It did not go any further, although the argument reportedly continued in the dressing room afterwards. The club acknowledges the incident but attempts to downplay it, insisting that elite dressing rooms are far more accustomed to friction than people realise. Internally, they are trying to minimise the drama.

But this is the real picture. Extensive. Heated. A carousel of incidents that has consumed Valdebebas and kept it on edge throughout the season. There is no denying that the dressing room is entering the final stretch of the campaign in an extraordinarily delicate state.

And that is the reality: it has been many years since Real Madrid experienced a season marked by so much internal turmoil. Drop by drop, the glass finally overflowed. Spark by spark, the fire eventually started.

Related stories

Real Madrid

Arbeloa's left-back dilemma for El Clásico

Real Madrid

Camavinga fights for redemption as World Cup hopes fade

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.