The unnameable one

It's revealing that in most journalistic analyses of Real Madrid's crisis, one name is conspicuously absent: Florentino Pérez. After the debacle in Albacete in Álvaro Arbeloa's debut—Arbeloa, a proud Mourinho loyalist whose main merit is being liked by the president—and coinciding with errors in match planning (not including Bellingham and Tchouameni in the squad) and in the substitutions he made during the game, the general opinion is that the blame cannot be placed on a newly arrived coach who has enough on his plate just saying yes to Florentino and not upsetting the team's stars.

The Bernabéu has already booed players this season—never Xabi Alonso—starting with Vinicius, who derailed the team with a lamentable tantrum when he was substituted in the Clásico that proved to be the definitive turning point. There was a before and after that incident because instead of reprimanding his reaction, fining him, or benching him, Alonso was left completely isolated, the president sided with the Brazilian, and the manager swallowed his pride. Vinicius isn't the only one who challenged Alonso, and the fans have also singled out players like Valverde and Bellingham; the former after stating he wasn't born to play full-back, and the latter for his recurring displays of annoyance. Beyond emotional issues, it's clear that the main problem, the key issue, lies in the creation of an unbalanced and overvalued squad that lacks something fundamental: a quality midfielder. Given that Real Madrid has neither a technical secretary nor a sporting director, the contortions used to avoid mentioning Florentino Pérez's name, employing phrases like "those responsible for management," are noteworthy, especially since I'd bet what little I have that most members can't name any of the directors who accompany and solemnly applaud the president.

This Saturday, the Bernabéu has the opportunity to speak out, and for the first time, despite the power wielded by the unmentionable one in the media as well, there's a suspicion that the fans might turn against the presidential box. Because in the end, you can't fool all the people all the time, and he, and no one else, is primarily responsible for the chaotic situation. And his name is Florentino Pérez.