It has been a season to forget for Real Madrid — not just on the pitch, but in the corridors and dressing rooms of the Bernabéu. Now, according to multiple reports, the club's hierarchy is ready to take "drastic measures" to restore the values and competitive identity that have made them the most decorated club in football history.
The crisis within the squad came into sharp public focus following reports of a physical altercation between Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni — an incident serious enough that one of the players required hospitalisation. It was a shocking moment that laid bare just how fractured the dressing room has become.
That confrontation was followed almost immediately by the very public spat between Kylian Mbappé and manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who Mbappé openly challenged in front of teammates. The squad is currently described by insiders as "lacking unity, lacking leadership, and lacking direction."
With the season drawing to a close, Real Madrid's board has signalled its willingness to make the tough calls. "Discipline, hierarchy and collective commitment must return," one senior source told Madrid Universal. "Whoever is not willing to meet those standards will have to go."
José Mourinho is understood to be the frontrunner to take over as manager for next season, with the club viewing his no-nonsense personality as exactly what is needed to rebuild the culture within the squad. Mourinho has experience of walking into fractured dressing rooms and restoring order — his second stint at Chelsea and his time at Real Madrid itself demonstrated that he thrives in high-pressure environments.
President Florentino Pérez is also set to hold individual meetings with senior players to establish expectations. The summer transfer window is expected to bring significant departures, with the board unwilling to carry players who cannot commit fully to the project.
