Barcelona deepen Real Madrid crisis: Two years without a title highlight poor decision-making and roster planning

Real Madrid seemed to have started the 2025–26 season in top form, as a solid run of results promised a golden era under Xabi Alonso. However, poor performances and locker-room issues led to his dismissal. Far from being the ideal solution, Álvaro Arbeloa failed to resolve those same problems. Furthermore, Barcelona deepened their bitter rivals’ crisis by crowning themselves as LaLiga winners, plunging Real Madrid into a two-year title drought that reflected poor decisions and roster planning.

After the departures of Carlo Ancelotti, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modrić, Los Blancos entered a new era filled with promise. Led by Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius, and Jude Bellingham, they aimed to dominate European soccer once again. However, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa failed to find the right balance between the midfield and the attack, leaving the team without a clear playing identity or direction. Compounding these issues, the roster has been plagued by injuries.

Amid a sporting transition, Real Madrid made a mistake that ultimately defined their season: The dismissal of Xabi Alonso. With this decision, the front office handed greater influence to the players, parting ways with a promising manager who was seeking support to fully control the dressing room. With a highly demanding, methodical style, he pushed players to embrace defined roles and commit to intense defensive work, something that ultimately cost him his position.

Coupled with Xabi Alonso’s dismissal, they also failed to properly plan the transition from Luka Modrić and Toni Kroos, exposing poor squad construction from the very beginning of the season. Rather than signing a true deep-lying playmaker, they relied on Federico Valverde, Bellingham, and Arda Güler to take on that responsibility. However, none of them naturally fit that profile, forcing the solution onto Thiago Pitarch, who showed that he was still too young for such a major role.

After those poor decisions, Real Madrid began to endure a season to forget. Reports of internal issues between players, such as Álvaro Carreras and Antonio Rüdiger, escalated into an even bigger incident involving Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni. The situation led to an internal disciplinary procedure by the club that ended with fines of €500,000 for each player. These conflicts exposed a much deeper problem: a lack of leadership in the dressing room and the absence of a manager with enough authority to control the squad’s biggest egos.

Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius fail to pull Real Madrid out of the slump

Kylian Mbappé arrived at Real Madrid in 2024, promising a new golden era for the club. With Vinícius Jr. already in the squad, the front office’s intention was not to replace the Brazilian, but rather to complement him. Despite a difficult start, the Frenchman scored 44 goals in his first season and has already added 41 in his second campaign. However, the two stars have failed to establish a true connection on the pitch, falling short of lifting Los Blancos out of their crisis.

Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. have failed to show their best version as a goalscoring duo at Real Madrid. Although the Frenchman starts as a center forward, he does not operate as a natural striker, constantly drifting toward the left flank and overlapping with the Brazilian. Consequently, they cannot recreate the chemistry Vinícius once had with Karim Benzema, as they struggle to combine through quick link-up play as they naturally move into identical areas.

If Real Madrid want Mbappé and Vinícius to develop into a truly feared attacking partnership, they may need to adopt a strategy similar Luis Enrique’s one at PSG: Constant positional rotation. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué shift across the front line based on the team’s needs. Both have already proven they can thrive in multiple attacking positions, which suggests they could successfully adapt to a similar system.

Real Madrid need a major midfield restructuring

Over the last few years, the best teams in the world have shown that having an elite midfield can define an entire season. While Vitinha and João Neves shine at PSG, Real Madrid continue to field profiles that are too similar, leaving the team without proper balance. This is far from unfamiliar territory for Los Blancos, as Toni Kroos, Casemiro, and Luka Modrić once provided the perfect balance that allowed the club to dominate Europe.

With Aurélien Tchouaméni operating as the defensive midfielder, Real Madrid may need a player capable of truly organizing the midfield. Although Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler clearly shine individually, they are naturally more attack-minded profiles and therefore struggle to dictate the tempo of the game. As a result, the team has failed to control transitions or stop counterattacks efficiently, leaving Los Blancos without real control of matches.

If Real Madrid manage to secure the signing of a deep-lying playmaker such as Enzo Fernández or Kees Smit, Los Blancos may eventually have to choose between Güler and Bellingham in the starting lineup, as Federico Valverde’s defensive contributions are key. However, the managerial change will likely be even more important for rebuilding the team, as it needs an experienced, winning profile capable of handling the major ego issues.

José Mourinho may be an ideal solution for Real Madrid

Following the failed spells of Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa, Real Madrid now appear to be targeting a manager with extensive experience. Although Didier Deschamps and Mauricio Pochettino have emerged as major options, Los Blancos would reportedly need to wait until after the 2026 World Cup, which creates a significant issue by delaying major changes. This is precisely why, José Mourinho’s vast experience and legendary legacy make him an ideal solution.

Despite being under contract with Benfica, Mourinho supposedly has a clause that could allow him to leave for Real Madrid. As a fan favorite and legendary figure at the club, the Portuguese manager would immediately command respect in the dressing room, helping to eliminate ego clashes. In addition, he could bring balance back to the squad by imposing a strong work ethic. However, he would likely require full backing and complete authority to rebuild.