In one of the hardest and most forceful reactions of the 2025-2026 season, the coach of the Real Madrid, Alvaro Arbeloa, he did not bite his tongue after the final whistle of the match against RCD Mallorca. With the final score of Mallorca 2-1 Real Madrid, sealed by a goal from Vedat Muriqi in the 91st minute of injury time, Arbeloa exploded with fury in the mixed zone and announced drastic measures.
“I don’t want to see him here for another minute!”, declared the visibly angry coach. Immediately afterwards, he stated emphatically that three defensive line players they will be expelled from the first team permanently and will not be called up again under any circumstances.
The three footballers mentioned are Antonio Rudiger, Éder Militão and David Alaba. According to Arbeloa, these defenders have generated serious internal problems in the locker room even before the game, affecting the team’s morale, causing conflicts and, finally, being mainly responsible for the errors that cost the defeat and three vital points in the fight for the LaLiga title.
This news has shaken the world of Spanish football and has generated an earthquake on social networks among Madrid fans.
The defensive errors that condemned Real Madrid
The match at the Estadi Son Moix was a real disaster for the white defense. Mallorca, located at the bottom of the standings (fighting for permanence), took the lead in the 41st minute with a goal from Manu Morlanes. In that play, Antonio Rudiger he made a clear positioning and marking error, allowing the Mallorcan midfielder to finish comfortably.
In the 88th minute, Éder Militão he scored the tying goal for Real Madrid, but his defensive contribution during the match left much to be desired, with inaccuracies in the release of the ball and several lost duels.
The final blow came in stoppage time. A long ball and poor coordination between the defense allowed that Vedat Muriqi define coldly. In this action, so much Rudiger as David Alaba (who came on in the second half) failed in coverage and closing, leaving the Kosovo striker alone in front of the goalkeeper.
Arbeloa did not hesitate to hold this defensive line directly responsible: “They have caused problems in the locker room before the game, they have affected the concentration and morale of the entire group. Their individual mistakes have cost us defeat and, possibly, the League title”.
Álvaro Arbeloa’s strong decision: Three defenders out forever
The coach, who took over the first team bench in January 2026 after the departure of Xabi Alonso, was clear and blunt:
“These three players will not be part of the team from now on. They will not be called up for another minute. Real Madrid cannot afford these types of attitudes or these mistakes that cost titles”.
Although Arbeloa did not go into details about the “costume problems”, sources close to the club speak of pre-match discussions, lack of commitment in training and an attitude that would have undermined the unity of the group at a key moment in the season.
Antonio Rudiger, at 33 years old and with an important role in recent campaigns, he is thus experiencing one of the most delicate moments of his time at the white club. The German had recently been praised for his professionalism after overcoming physical problems, but today he has become one of the main honorees.
Éder Militão and David Alaba, both with a history of injuries and ups and downs in their performance this season, complete the list of the three defenders who, according to Arbeloa, “have betrayed the competitive essence of Real Madrid”.
How does this crisis affect Real Madrid in LaLiga 2025-2026?
Before this match, Real Madrid occupied second position in the table with 69 points, four behind the leader FC Barcelona. The defeat in Mallorca is a hard blow in the final stretch of the season. Losing three points against a team from the lower zone (Mallorca was close to 17-18 fighting not to be relegated) has further angered the fans and the board.
Many fans ask themselves online: “How is it possible that a team of Real Madrid’s level plays in such a weak and unmotivated way against a rival that is fighting for permanence?”. Arbeloa’s question in his statement resonates strongly: “What do you think of a Second Division team (in reference to the level shown) playing so weakly against a team in 18th place?”.
This defeat not only distances Madrid from the title, but also opens an internal crisis that could mark the rest of the season, both in the League and in other competitions.
Reactions and immediate future
The Madrid fans are divided. While some support Arbeloa’s strong hand to clean the locker room and demand maximum professionalism, others consider it excessive to definitively expel three experienced players like Rüdiger, Militão and Alaba, especially in a decisive stretch of the season.
Florentino Pérez, president of the club, has not yet spoken publicly, but an emergency meeting is expected in the next few hours to analyze the situation.
Meanwhile, Álvaro Arbeloa will have to rebuild the defense with players like the youth players or possible emergency signings. The pressure on the coach is enormous: he must manage the crisis, maintain the morale of the group and fight until the end for the title.
The next match is presented as a final. Real Madrid needs an immediate reaction if it does not want to say goodbye definitively to LaLiga 2025-2026.
Conclusion: A locker room on fire
Álvaro Arbeloa’s explosion after the defeat against Mallorca will go down in history as one of the most tense moments of Real Madrid’s recent era. The decision to permanently expel Antonio Rudiger, Éder Militão and David Alaba mark a before and after.
Will this be the necessary measure to recover unity and competitiveness? Or will it open too deep a wound in the locker room?
The next few days will be decisive. Real Madrid, accustomed to overcoming crises, now has its biggest internal challenge of the season ahead of it. The fans wait for answers on the field and in the offices.
Because at the Bernabéu there is no room for weakness, nor for those who, according to the coach, have endangered the dream of the title.
