Marca reported the full history of internal tensions this week, painting a picture of a dressing room that had functioned on player power for so long that any attempt to reassert authority was met with open contempt.
When Alonso arrived as head coach in the summer of 2025, he sought to introduce greater tactical discipline and a more structured working environment. The squad immediately split. Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni aligned with the new manager's approach. On the other side, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde increasingly resisted it.
The resistance, according to Marca, escalated to remarkable scenes during tactical meetings. Some players deliberately pretended to be asleep. Others chatted among themselves or openly ignored instructions. Alonso eventually lost his composure in training.
"I didn't know I had to coach a youth team here!"
The outburst came after months of tensions that had been building since the summer. Alonso was dismissed in January, less than seven months into his tenure, and replaced by former Real Madrid and Spain defender Álvaro Arbeloa.
Arbeloa initially calmed the situation, but the structural problems remained unresolved. A verbal altercation between Valverde and Tchouaméni during a training session on Wednesday escalated into a second, more serious confrontation on Thursday in the Valdebebas dressing room.
Valverde was taken to hospital with a head wound requiring stitches and was diagnosed with cranioencephalic trauma. He denied any physical contact between the two players, claiming he had accidentally struck a table.
Real Madrid fined both players €500,000 each — reported to be the largest disciplinary fine in Spanish football history — and opened formal proceedings that were subsequently concluded. Tchouaméni travelled with the squad for Sunday's El Clásico at Camp Nou. Valverde was ruled out for between 10 and 14 days.
The club have spent two seasons without a major trophy. Florentino Pérez is expected to appoint a new head coach this summer, with José Mourinho the frontrunner. How any new appointment will manage a group that dismissed Alonso's attempts at control remains the central unanswered question at Real Madrid.