It's been one of the toughest weeks in a long time for the Real Madrid football club. After losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona, they fired head coach Xabi Alonso 24 hours later.
The temporary man in charge was Castilla coach Alvaro Arbeloa, put in charge of the Copa del Rey game against second-tier Albacete. A 3-2 loss saw them crash out of the cup in the Round of 16, meaning more pressure on the team.
The next game was a La Liga game against second-from-bottom Levante, a game that they should be winning and need to. It was also an opportunity for their fans to voice their opinion of the players and the president.
Fans bring out the white handkerchiefs and whistles
Real Madrid president Florentino Pere
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Before the game began, the customary announcement of the starting lineup was made over the speakers at the Bernabeu. Every player's name was met with whistles. That continued into the game, with certain players who touched the ball getting much louder ones.
Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., and Federico Valverde were targeted much more. The atmosphere looked to unsettle the team, and they struggled to create much. It took them 38 minutes to register a shot on target, and even then, it was a tame one.
Even during the warm-ups, when players emerged, there were whistles. The fans are clearly not happy with the situation at the club.
🚨 Real Madrid fans whistled every player on their return at the Bernabéu after last two defeats.@defcentral 🎥 pic.twitter.com/NVrRU95hth
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 17, 2026
At half-time with the score 0-0, players left the pitch to more whistles. That was followed by the famous white handkerchiefs being waved. That is the ultimate sign of dissatisfaction with the team, management, and the president. The latter did not escape the wrath.
The fans began to chant 'Florentino Resign' towards the president, Florentino Perez. Maybe that was why he was upset: he had decided to part with Xabi Alonso. Perhaps because he is backing players over the manager.
Even with a positive result against Levante, this will rumble on until a run of games with good performances.
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