Real Madrid's dressing room is in turmoil ahead of Sunday's El Clásico showdown with Barcelona. Tensions between players and coaching staff have reached breaking point, Spanish media reports say.
Six players have reportedly stopped talking to head coach Álvaro Arbeloa altogether. The fractured atmosphere at Valdebebas reflects a season spiralling toward disaster.
Madrid trail Barcelona by 11 points in La Liga right now. Bayern Munich knocked them out of the Champions League weeks ago.
Without a trophy to fight for, morale has collapsed entirely. Communication between different groups in the squad has essentially broken down, according to reports.
Frustration has boiled over onto the training ground. Two separate physical altercations have been documented in recent days.
Defender Antonio Rüdiger allegedly slapped teammate Álvaro Carreras during one incident. Both men's emotions ran high before tensions spilled into the dressing room.
Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni clashed in another confrontation. Marca reported the pair pushed each other during training, then continued arguing indoors.
These explosive scenes have dominated Spanish headlines this week. They've raised serious questions about the squad's mental state going into the Barcelona match.
Kylian Mbappé faces separate accusations of distancing himself from teammates. Sources claim internal questions have been raised about his attitude and commitment.
May 10 looms as a make-or-break fixture for Madrid's season. Whether this fractured squad can unite remains deeply uncertain.
