These virtual pay disputes include Vinicius, who reportedly wants a new contract worth more than current top earner Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid recently felt overwhelmed by their players' growing stature, a factor that ultimately contributed to Alonso's dismissal. For club chiefs, led by President Florentino Pérez, removing the coach appeared easier than reining in the rebellious stars. According toThe Athletic, the combined entourages of Vinicius, Mbappé and their teammates wield alarmingly high influence inside the club.
Alonso had clearly reached his limit by the time some players, openly critical of him, reportedly pretended to be asleep during tactical meetings. The former Leverkusen coach then lost his temper, allegedly shouting in disbelief: "I didn't realise I'd walked into a nursery here."
Following Alonso's departure, Real turned to an internal option, promoting former reserve-team coach Arbeloa. On the pitch, the new boss failed to spark a lasting turnaround, and he made little impact on the dressing-room dynamic. He stroked Vinicius's ego in particular, and the forward now feels far more important and effective on the pitch than he did under Alonso. Even so, Arbeloa quickly encountered resistance within the dressing room; his methods were questioned and, according to reports, some players even spread malicious gossip about him.
"A lot of lies are being told," Arbeloa said at a press conference last weekend, defending his players. "It is a lie that my players are not professional. It is a lie that my players did not show me the necessary respect; that didn't even happen."
Recent events suggest Arbeloa did not tell the whole truth, and the growing unrest in the dressing room appears anything but coincidental. The campaign is petering out with little left to play for: in the Copa del Rey they were humiliated in the round of 16 by a second-tier side in mid-January, and in mid-April they lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. In La Liga, Barcelona have long since pulled clear, and on Sunday evening they were mathematically confirmed as champions again after a comfortable 2-0 Clásico win over Real.
With nothing left to play for, wounded pride and trivialities now command the spotlight. That dynamic extends to Kylian Mbappé, whose recent trip to Sardinia with girlfriend Ester Exposito drew fierce criticism from the club's supporters. The general consensus: the Frenchman should have focused entirely on recovering from his muscle tear in time for Sunday's Clásico against arch-rivals Barça. He failed to do so; Mbappé was left out of the squad at Camp Nou and could face the full brunt of the supporters' anger if he is fit to return on Thursday against Oviedo.
Real's supporters have already vented their frustration this term with loud boos aimed at the home players, with Vinicius as the main target. Arbeloa's calls for unconditional backing have resonated only to a limited extent, leaving another fault line to smoulder beneath the surface of an already chaotic campaign.