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Real Madrid, Chelsea and the world's biggest crisis clubs
11 May 2026 12:01 CDT |
8 min read
Analysis
As we approach the summer of 2026, there are a number of clubs in need of a complete overhaul before the next season commences.
Whether it be performances on the pitch, drama behind the scenes or a combination of both, there are clubs currently in crisis at the end of the 2025/26 campaign that need to sort themselves out as a matter of urgency.
Let's have a look at some dysfunctional clubs from around the world.
Real Madrid
So far this century, Real Madrid have endured just five trophyless campaigns in 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10, 2020/21 and now in 2025/26. They surrendered La Liga to Barcelona at the weekend, were eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich and were on the wrong side of one of the shocks of the season as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Segunda Division outfit Albacete.
The poor performances on the field have been matched by the typical Galactico drama off it, though.
Over the last week, there have been numerous reports about severe infighting in the squad. This season, there have been major altercations between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rudiger and Alvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe.
One confrontation between Valverde and Tchouameni got physical, resulting in the Uruguayan falling and hitting his head off a table, requiring a trip to the hospital for stitches. Both players were fined half-a-million euros.
Xabi Alonso's tenure as head coach ended early when he could not control the divas in the dressing room and he regularly clashed with stars like Valverde and Vinicius Junior.
Current boss Alvaro Arbeloa is on a collision course with some of the fringe players not getting enough game time, too, and that group includes influential club captain Dani Carvajal.
There is, of course, the discourse surrounding Mbappe.
The Frenchman is the club's highest-earner following his massive Bosman switch from PSG but he is yet to lift La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey since his arrival and there are some Madridistas who believe he is responsible for the team's downturn in form.
He is viewed as individualistic and not a team player, while he reportedly only has positive relationships with French compatriots in the squad. A petition to have him sold has gained 70 million signatures, while there is a website counting down the years, months, weeks, days and seconds until his contract expires.
President Florentino Perez is flirting with the idea of bringing Jose Mourinho back as head coach next season, which probably won't do much to curb the drama.
Chelsea
Chelsea's current status as a club in crisis stems from a catastrophic intersection of financial instability, managerial volatility, and a collapse of results or even identity in how they play. Financially, the situation is dire, with the club posting a record-breaking pre-tax loss of €302 million for the 2024/25 period.
This financial strain is compounded by a mountain of debt approaching €1.7 billion, largely accrued through a €2 billion transfer spend since the 2022 takeover.
Since 2022, the club has cycled through nine different head coaches. This instability reached a peak during the current 2025/26 campaign, which has seen three different men at the helm: Enzo Maresca, Liam Rosenior, and the current interim manager, Calum McFarlane.
This lack of continuity has left the squad - which was built at a massive expense - without a clear identity or long-term plan.
On the pitch, the results have been historically poor despite the unprecedented investment in players. Chelsea currently sits in a mid-table 9th position in the Premier League, having endured their worst losing streak since 1993 and a home-form slump not seen since the 1970s.
While they have managed to reach the FA Cup Final, their European campaign ended in humiliation with an 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Expensive acquisitions last summer like Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens have flopped miserably and to make matters worse, a large majority of the underperforming squad are on very long, lucrative deals.
Marseille
The current crisis at Marseille is defined by a systemic failure of discipline, severe financial instability, and a marked decline in competitiveness.
The French giants occupy a disappointing 7th place in Ligue 1, jeopardising their participation in European competition for next season. In a drastic attempt to rectify the squad's form, owner Frank McCourt instituted a "lock-in" at the Robert Louis Dreyfus Centre, mandating that players remain on-site to develop a new feeling of teamwork and professionalism. This decision proved counterproductive, reportedly devolving into a disorganised environment characterised by a lack of professional decorum and damage to club property.
French football expert Robin Bairners explains:
"Marseille is a club that is a tinder box. There’s always the potential for crisis, and that’s proven the case this season. Their unlikely and catastrophic loss to Club Brugge that saw them knocked out of the Champions League in January has been the catalyst for their season unravelling.
"Roberto De Zerbi finally made good on his threat to quit, and Habib Beye has been unable to stem the bleeding. In fact, it appears he’s made it worse. He has regularly instructed the team to stay at the club’s training ground, while he relationship with key players has been frosty at best.
"Everything came to a head last week when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sprayed a staff member with a fire extinguisher. He saw it as a chance to lighten the mood, but among the grim atmosphere in Provence, it did not go down well. And amidst all this, there’s been Mason Greenwood’s growing unpopularity due to a poor attitude, which was tolerated when things were going well but will not stand now."
Rangers
On Sunday, Celtic defeated Rangers 3-1 to end the latter's title hopes and reduce them to a likely third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership this season.
With the home side looking comfortable after Daizen Maeda's ludicrous overhead kick, the Celtic fans started enjoying themselves in the stands and even poked fun at Rangers boss Danny Rohl by singing his name. Afterwards, the stadium DJ played Boney M's 'Daddy Cool', which was adopted by the Rangers fans as a song for their manager.
Rohl became a laughing stock in Glasgow and it seems like this may be the beginning of the end for him in the Ibrox hotseat.
Rangers spent more money than anyone in Scotland last summer and in the January transfer window but will not qualify for the Champions League to recoup some of that investment and are facing that aforementioned third-place finish, which will earn them early qualifiers for the Europa League.
The club simply cannot seem to get managerial appointments right. Rohl replaced Russell Martin, who oversaw the worst start to a campaign in 47 years, which led to his eventual dismissal.
Philippe Clement won the League Cup but didn’t harm Celtic in the league, while Michael Beale proved he wasn’t the brains behind the operation when Steven Gerrard led them to the title in 2021, stopping Celtic from 10-in-a-row in the process.
It looks like, come this summer, Rangers may be looking for their 10th permanent boss in as many years.
Tottenham
Tottenham's Premier League fate is in their own hands and things are looking more positive than a month ago when it seemed like they were destined to suffer relegation for the first time in nearly half a century.
In the summer, they sacked Ange Postecoglou who delivered them a European trophy and replaced him with a man who had the complete opposite football philosophy, Thomas Frank.
While Postecoglou's teams were effervescent going forward and shaky at the back, Frank's focus was on stability, which eventually impacted their output in the final third.
Spurs continually appoint new managers, yet none have anything in common, which says that there is no real plan in place. The club has gone after genuine superstar managers like Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte but they have both lamented the club's lack of ambition, particularly in the transfer market.
Ready-made superstars are rarely targeted, with youngsters with sell-on value preferred instead.
Roberto De Zerbi has been given the reins and it looks like he has saved Spurs from relegation, but there are always on the cusp of some kind of crisis, it seems.
Independiente Medellin
Independiente Medellin is currently facing an institutional crisis that reached a violent tipping point in May 2026 when a Copa Libertadores fixture against Flamengo had to be abandoned just three minutes into play.
Flares and objects were thrown onto the pitch and fans even entered the field of play, which forced the referee to take the players away while stewards and police attempted to reclaim order. Fifty minutes later, with no sign of calm, the match was officially abandoned by Conmebol.
The root of this intense unrest stems from a fractured relationship between the Medellin fanbase and the club’s leadership, specifically major shareholder Raul Giraldo. Supporters had reached a breaking point following the team’s recent elimination from the Colombian league playoffs after a 2-1 defeat by Rionegro Aguilas.
Post-match, Giraldo argued with supporters and, according to outlet El Tiempo, could be seen waving his hands in supposed victory on his way back to the changing room.
He then posted an apology to the fans and said he would be looking to step away from his official role with the club.
"I greet the Independiente Medellin fans," Giraldo's statement began.
"This message is to apologise for my bad behaviour in yesterday's match against Águilas. This is not my way of acting. I have always had respect for such a valuable crowd, they are my brothers, whom I have always taken care of.
"Since the beginning as a peasant in the Oriente Antioqueño (near region) I dreamed of being someone in Medellin, and I have been working for 12 years for this institution to move forward. A thousand apologies.
"For this reason, I will move away looking for someone with many ideas so that this institution is always great at the international level. A thousand apologies, and we will continue to follow this great Deportivo Independiente Medellin."
This toxic atmosphere culminated in the "blackout" protest during the Flamengo match, which fans viewed as a global stage to broadcast their demand for a total overhaul of the club's hierarchy.
