Real Madrid’s strong start to the season masks growing unease behind the scenes.
Despite leading La Liga and maintaining a perfect Champions League record, concerns persist about the team’s ‘bad dressing room habits’, and shortage of leaders, reports The Athletic.
After the 5-2 loss to Atletico Madrid in September, tensions erupted in the dressing room. According to sources, senior players confronted younger teammates over poor preparation and attitude.
Real Madrid have steadied results since, but with games against Juventus, Barcelona, and Liverpool looming, club insiders worry the same flaws could resurface.
Those concerns stem from the loss of key figures who once anchored the club’s culture. Toni Kroos retired in 2024, while Nacho left for Saudi Arabia, and Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez departed last summer.
Dani Carvajal, now 33, is the last remaining veteran from Real Madrid’s six Champions League titles between 2014 and 2024 – and now the captain.
Former coach Carlo Ancelotti often argued to keep experienced players, saying they were essential for “atmosphere” as much as performance.
One insider warned last season, “If Carvajal is left alone, he’ll explode within a month.”
But both Modric and Vazquez still left, and what had been described internally as “the best dressing room” soon became one marked by ego and friction.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid signed Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth, Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, Franco Mastantuono from River Plate and Alvaro C arreras from Benfica. The average age of these signings was under 22.
While Kylian Mbappe has emerged as a leader on the pitch, his influence day to day is limited. Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni are viewed as positive examples, but the squad still lacks the vocal leadership it once had.
Furthermore, sources reveal that upon his arrival in June, new manager Alonso found “a dressing room with many bad habits”
Talking about the situation in the dressing room, a first-team player told The Athletic in May: “Let’s see if Xabi dares to enter this madhouse.”
The Basque coach is working hard to address this issue and build a new culture within the locker room. He has tightened discipline, emphasising punctuality and intensity.
“They’ve gone from having a coach who was hardly involved in training sessions ( Ancelotti) to one who seems like just another player,” said a person close to one squad member.
Alonso and his staff believe progress is being made, but another setback against Juventus, Barcelona, or Liverpool in the coming weeks could raise alarms again. As such, the feeling is that a lot is at stake for the manager and the team in the upcoming matches.