Real Madrid's dressing room is under fresh strain after a series of flashpoints involving senior players, with Kylian Mbappe at the center of the latest unease and Antonio Rudiger already having apologized for a separate confrontation in April.
Rudiger was involved in a heated argument with another first-team player in the dressing rooms at Real Madrid's training ground in April, a confrontation that was instigated by the Germany defender. He later apologized for his actions and, in an apparent bid to calm the mood, invited his teammates and their families to lunch on Friday.
Mbappe's episode came before Real Madrid traveled to play Real Betis on April 24, when he was involved in a flare-up with a coach during a training exercise. The 26-year-old spoke angrily and in insulting terms toward the member of staff, who had been acting as an assistant referee on the sidelines and had called him offside. There is no suggestion that Rudiger or Mbappe has faced any internal punishment, but Mbappe's conduct did not go down well with many around Madrid.
Several people at the club and close to it have criticized Madrid for not taking a firmer stance, and Mbappe was also criticized internally over a trip to Italy with his partner. He is recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered against Real Betis on April 24, was given some days off last week, and arrived back in Madrid on Sunday evening before kickoff in the away match at Espanyol. Vinicius Jr's two goals settled Madrid's 2-0 win.
Supporters were not all willing to move on. Many thought Mbappe should not have taken a break while the team was going through a difficult time, and the criticism has only added to the noise around a club already unsettled by last month's Champions League elimination by Bayern Munich. A petition to sell Mbappe has reached 27 million signatures, a stark sign of how quickly frustration has spread beyond the dressing room.
Arbeloa was asked about Mbappe on three occasions in his post-match press conference, and he declined to make the issue his own. “In their free time, each player does what they see fit, and I don't get involved in that,” he said, while also saying, “All planning regarding injured players is super.” With a decisive Clasico ahead, Madrid is trying to contain a dispute that has become as much about discipline and authority as it is about form.