When Real Madrid left Camp Nou after the defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico, the home team began celebrating the La Liga championship amidst fireworks and enthusiasm from the stands. For Real Madrid, it was not just a defeat, but also a miniature image for a disappointing season.
The 2-0 score does not fully reflect the gap between the two teams. Barcelona is currently 14 points behind Real Madrid when the season is only three rounds away, and that gap could even be widened further. While Barca is aiming for the historic 100-point milestone, Real Madrid is facing the risk of closing their second consecutive season without winning any major titles - something that has never happened since 2006.
It is worth mentioning that that decline took place less than two years after Real Madrid won the Champions League at Wembley and completed a domestic double title. Most of the framework that once made that success is still present at the Bernabeu. But over time, a series of wrong decisions in the team's development strategy have gradually caused everything to slip out of control.
One of the biggest controversial issues is the Kylian Mbappe deal. When he joined Real Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, the French striker was considered the perfect piece for a squad already full of stars.
However, according to many internal sources, there are increasing doubts about whether Real Madrid really needs Mbappe at that time or not. Especially when Vinicius Junior is at the peak of his form and is considered a bright candidate for the Ballon d'Or.
Although still maintaining impressive scoring performance, Mbappe is said to make the tactical structure and atmosphere of the dressing room unbalanced. Both Carlo Ancelotti, Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa have difficulty building a system that can optimize Mbappe, Vinicius and Jude Bellingham at the same time.
Not only that, Mbappe is also questioned about his attitude and level of commitment in the final stage of the season. His appearance during a private vacation while recovering from injury before the El Clasico caused a major negative reaction from the media and fans.
In parallel with professional issues, Real Madrid also experienced instability on the coaching bench.
Xabi Alonso was once expected to bring a new era after his success with Bayer Leverkusen. However, the Spanish coach quickly lost control of the dressing room.
According to sources close to the club, many key players such as Vinicius, Federico Valverde or Bellingham did not completely trust Alonso. The strong decisions against Vinicius further escalated the conflict, before Alonso was sacked in January.
His successor, Alvaro Arbeloa, initially created positive signals when helping the team improve their form and win many big victories against strong opponents such as Manchester City, Benfica or Atletico Madrid.
Under Arbeloa, Vinicius also regained his best form. But towards the end of the season, Real Madrid's inherent problems continued to be revealed. An unstable defense system, divided dressing rooms and increasingly serious internal conflicts.
Conflicts between players have continuously appeared, including the incident between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni before El Clasico. According to Spanish media, Real Madrid had to internally fine these two players after a scuffle during training.
Meanwhile, at the leadership level, President Florentino Perez also faces a lot of pressure. Major projects such as the Super League or the commercialization plan of the Bernabeu stadium are facing obstacles, and the team's development strategy is questioned after two consecutive seasons without a title.
Now, Los Blancos preparing to enter the summer is considered a major turning point. From Vinicius's future, the possibility of changing coaches to transfer plans, all upcoming decisions can shape the future of the Royal Spanish team in the coming years.
And after the comprehensive defeat against Barcelona this season, the biggest question at the Bernabeu is no longer whether Real Madrid needs to change or not, but how deeply they will have to change to return to the top.
