A week of nonstop drama leads to one question: What’s happening at Real Madrid?

 

Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde clashed during training last week. 

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

It’s been a week to remember for Real Madrid, but for all the wrong reasons.

From player fights to bizarre news conferences, arguably the world’s biggest soccer team has been buffeted from one attention-grabbing revelation to another.

So what is happening at the club? And what can we expect to see over the coming weeks?

Firstly, it’s important to understand the context in which these controversies are popping up. Their roots are firmly planted in the fact that Real Madrid has now gone two seasons without winning a major trophy.

That might not be such a big deal for most clubs around the world, but it’s pretty much the end of the world for Madrid. Given the money paid for players and its rich history of silverware, winning trophies is the bare minimum expected of its players and failure to do so usually leads to ruthless changes in the squad.

That’s certainly been the case this year, with Xabi Alonso released from his managerial role in January after a poor start to the season. He was replaced by Madrid’s B team manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who has been unable to turn around results during his interim spell.

The season hit a new low on Sunday, with Madrid losing 2-0 to familiar foe Barcelona. The result saw Barca secure the league title right in the faces of its rival, a humiliation that has seemingly stoked the fire that was already burning in the heart of this star-studded Madrid team.

Pérez on the attack

In light of the disappointing season, Real Madrid’s club president Florentino Pérez called a news conference at late notice Tuesday. Given rumors were circling that José Mourinho was on his way back to manage the team next season, some assumed Pérez would be addressing that, looking to steady the ship after a torrid few months in the Spanish capital.