Beyond the slaps: the difficult reconstruction of Florentino Pérez's toy

BarcelonaEliminated from the Copa del Rey by Albacete, runners-up in the Spanish Super Cup, defeated by Bayern in the Champions League, and eleven points behind Barça in La Liga with only twelve remaining to be played. With the classic on Sunday at Camp Nou (9 p.m.) still to come, Real Madrid will complete another blank season. What was supposed to be an exciting year for Madrid fans has ended up becoming a nightmare. Xabi Alonso was supposed to bring titles back to the Bernabéu, but his ideas were never fully embraced in the locker room, much less by Florentino Pérez, who in January decided to let him go and put Álvaro Arbeloa in charge. Four months later, the results have not materialized, and the locker room has been engulfed by a hostile atmosphere. The all-powerful white president will have to roll up his sleeves in the summer to restore stability.

In an unbreathable atmosphere evident from the slaps between Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, Madrid is preparing for the team's reconstruction. Everything points towards it being without Arbeloa, although it is an option that the former full-back might remain at the club due to his strong affinity with Florentino. In parallel to the choice of the next coach (

José Mourinho has a high chance of returning to the Bernabéu), the squad will also undergo a deep cleaning process. Nevertheless, the only two certain departures are those of David Alaba and Dani Carvajal. Both contracts end in June, and there is no intention of renewing them. The Austrian has participated in fourteen matches this season, while the Madrid-born player ends his cycle after a year marked by injuries, poor performance, and a lack of chemistry with Arbeloa.

José Mourinho has many chances of returning to the BernabéuThe most expensive squad in the League

High and long-lasting contracts are a major enemy for Florentino. Apart from Alaba and Carvajal, only one player's contract ends in June: Antonio Rüdiger, who could extend his white tenure for one more season. The rest of the squad are committed from 2027 onwards. According to estimated data provided by the specialized portal Capology, Madrid is the team in La Liga with the highest salaries. In total, in fixed salaries alone, it has annual obligations worth 434 million euros. With these figures, it is normal for most footballers to be reluctant to move to clubs that would pay them less. However, without significant departures, the club will not have the muscle to sign the pieces it needs so much, starting with a playmaker who will make us forget Toni Kroos.

There are two more players who are not counted either, but in this case it would be to loan them to some team so they could gain experience, as has happened with the Brazilian Endrick, who has so far scored eight goals in twenty games for Olympique de Lyon. They are Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo García. In his first season in Madrid, the Argentine has not justified the more than 45 million he cost. A loan will be sought for him. Gonzalo is a different case. He broke out in the last Club World Cup with four goals and an assist in six games. He would like to be sold for a good sum of money, but with an option to buy back.

Four months have passed since Arbeloa became Madrid's coach and the bad atmosphere in the locker room has not stopped getting worse. Managing egos is a very complicated task. Glances, ironic smiles, grimaces and repeated complaints have been the protagonists throughout the season. From Valverde's refusal to play as a full-back when Alonso was still managing the team and Vinícius's antics in the first-leg clásico, to Carreras raising eyebrows in Cornellà-el Prat. The hostility has finally exploded with the leak of a slap from Rüdiger to the Galician full-back in training and the conflict with Tchouaméni with Valverde, including aggressions, but it has been latent throughout the season.

You only have to see the constant tug-of-war between Mbappé, Bellingham and Vinícius on the same pitch. Of these three, only the Brazilian has an uncertain future. His contract ends in 2027 and Florentino wants to keep him, but the fans are starting to get tired of his character, and that's why they boo him. Sectors of madridismo have even collected signatures to request Mbappé's sale after he went on a romantic getaway to Sardinia in the midst of an outbreak during his recovery from a muscle injury. With this scenario, the worst that could happen to the Merengues is to visit a packed Camp Nou with a desire for a party. They will not form a guard of honor, but if they don't win, they will see their eternal rivals lift the League under their noses. These are very dark days for immaculate white.