According to Marca, sources inside the Real Madrid dressing room blame the resignation of former manager Xabi Alonso for the deepening rift between players. Tensions rose in October as several key players—Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde among them—openly criticised Alonso’s regime of lengthy tactical sessions and video analysis.
However, another camp backed Alonso’s methods and his drive to overhaul the system and playing style. For them, the constant gripes—especially from Vinicius—were a pretext; the Brazilian’s status had slipped compared with his position under Carlo Ancelotti.
Although the Brazilian remained a key figure, he started only 13 of 33 competitive matches under Alonso and came on as a substitute four times. As a result, Vinicius completed the full 90 minutes in just nine outings and was increasingly deployed in a playmaking role, recording ten assists. By contrast, under Arbeloa, Vinicius has scored eight more goals in ten fewer matches and has been substituted only three times in 23 outings.
One such switch, perceived by Vinicius as a snub, sparked the now-famous Clásico row at the end of October; according to Marca, that was the moment the campaign began to unravel behind the scenes.
Players such as Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga reportedly agreed, feeling that Alonso’s methods were sapping the squad’s form.
The disrespect shown by some players during tactical meetings—some even feigning sleep or chatting—infuriated both Alonso’s supporters in the squad and the coach himself, who remains without a club. “I didn’t realise I’d walked into a nursery school,” the stunned Alonso is said to have shouted at one point.