Real Madrid face unprecedented crisis: Bernabeu bites back against Vini Jr, Bellingham and Perez

Robin Bairner

Updated: 17 Jan 2026 13:38 GMT
4 min read

Jude Bellingham, Vini Junior, Real Madrid, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Real Madrid were aware that when they sacked Xabi Alonso at the start of the week, they were exposing themselves as a club to a potential world of criticism.

Article continues under the video

Arvalo Arbeloa was the man brought to step into the void until the summer, yet a stunning Copa del Rey loss against struggling second-tier side Albacete in midweek only served to magnify the criticism of those at the club.

Now with Real Madrid back at home for the first time since these events, fans of the club have not been shy about making their feelings known, with president Florentino Perez, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior among the players particularly targeted by the supporters.

Compared

Jude Bellingham

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham

AM (C), M (CL)

Real Madrid

VS

Vinicius Junior

F (CL), M (L)

Real Madrid

Vinicius Junior

F (CL), M (L)

Real Madrid

€124.5M	ETV	€98.8M
€93.4M - €155.7M	ETV Range	€88.9M - €108.7M
22 years old (29 Jun, 2003)	Age	25 years old (12 Jul, 2000)
England	Nationality	Brazil

What happened?

Real Madrid were playing host to Levante in a La Liga clash that kicked off early on Sunday.

Minutes into the game, the fans made their voices heard, speaking out against the perceived leaders at the club.

White handkerchiefs were waved around the heads of many fans, the traditional sign of protest and anger at the Bernabeu.

President Florentino Perez was the particular target of their criticism, with loud chants of: “Florentino resign!” ringing out around the stadium.

But it was not only the president who was jeered. Vinicius Junior received loud whistles while Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde were also the recipients of such treatment.

© IMAGO - Vini Jr: A well-known opponent of Xabi Alonso

Why were the fans jeering?

The protests seem to have been centred among those who are seen as being responsible for the sacking of Alonso earlier this week.

Vini Jr and Fede Valverde were public in their frustration with the manager. Bellingham was rumoured to have a bad relationship with him and was also said to be unhappy with his role in the team, making demands that the club sign players who fit in around him better.

Perez, meanwhile, has been a long-term supporter of player power, often backing his Galacticos ahead of his managers.

Real Madrid set for dramatic reckoning

Unless Real Madrid manage to quell the revolt the supporters are leading, this could be a seismic day in the history of the club.

Perez will naturally come under more pressure in his role as president, and this will put more scrutiny, in particular, on the future of Vinicius Junior.

Out of form and perceived as having a bad attitude, Vini Jr’s contract is up at the end of next season. Had Alonso been in charge, the Brazilian would likely have been sold in the summer, but Perez is a proponent of keeping him at the club against widespread critical opinion.

With the Bernabeu so now audibly attacking a player who was once their star, it could signal a dramatic policy change in the upper echelons of the club.

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