After the defeat against Albacete, only Álvaro Arbeloa spoke to try and raise the squad's morale, taking responsibility for the elimination. Nevertheless, the widespread silence in the locker room hides a deep layer of mistrust.
Arbeloa is placed by the club and is a Florentino man. Scapegoats are being sought now, and whoever takes a position might be singled out by the club, which wants to shed ballast in the locker room.
This distrust stems from Arbeloa's rapid promotion; eight months ago he coached the youth team and is now with the first team. Players have been explicitly advised not to talk in front of him about Florentino Pérez, Xabi Alonso, or any opinion that might blame someone for the current situation.
The locker room had already been a source of problems under Carlo Ancelotti, with ego battles triggered by the arrival of Mbappé and salary disputes involving Vinícius and Bellingham. These conflicts also impacted the relationship with the former coach, Xabi Alonso, who was challenged by Vinícius.
