Crisis at Real Madrid: Players’ parents complain to Perez amid dressing room feud

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Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Real Madrid are in the grip of a major crisis that has led to the parents of at least two players calling president Florentino Perez to complain about the treatment of their sons.

The Bernabeu side is in full meltdown mode, with battles raging across the club. Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa is in dispute with several players, while the squad themselves are squabbling. Alvaro Carreras went public after being slapped by Antonio Rudiger in the dressing room, for example.

Unsurprisingly given this backdrop, results have been abject. Madrid have won only two of their last seven games across all competitions and face the embarrassment of losing the league title to Barcelona on Sunday if they cannot somehow muster a win at Camp Nou.

Discipline lost at Real Madrid as parents call Perez

The childish nature of the behaviour of the Madrid stars, though, is perhaps best summed up by the fact that at least two parents have directly called Perez to complain that their sons have not been playing, COPE reports in a sensational revelation.

It claims: “The parents of two key international players, a defender and a midfielder, have called Florentino Perez directly to complain about their sons' lack of playing time.”

There is no suggestion as to the identity of these players, but is claims that the “monolithic authority that used to emanate from the Real Madrid president has been lost”.

The lack of leadership has created a culture where there is “top-to-bottom mismanagement” and “everyone does absolutely whatever they want because they know there will be no consequences”.

Sweeping summer changes

Real Madrid are missing the discipline of an experienced man-manager like Carlo Ancelotti, who departed the post a year ago.

Arbeloa is almost certain to be sacked at the end of the season, and the belief is that the current situation only aids the case of a hard-line boss like Jose Mourinho, who has been linked with a sensational return to the Bernabeu 13 years after he left.

Certainly, the stage is set for an almighty rebuild in the transfer window, with a total realignment of the squad’s values necessary in order to move Real Madrid on. This will likely involve several high-profile exits, with the large egos of some players apparently incompatible with others in the group.

Perez faces arguably the most difficult summer of his Real Madrid presidency, and it is one that will define the club for years to come.