The fall may not have been deep, but the landing was difficult.
For Real Madrid, the most successful team in La Liga and the Champions League, a second season without a trophy has been confirmed in the worst possible way. They lost to Barcelona, who defended their Spanish title with the victory.
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Los Blancos clawed their way into Catalonia, keeping the title race alive, knowing that doing so could lead to the cruellest heartbreak for their fans. And it happened.
Trailing by two goals at half-time at the Camp Nou, it could have been more, but persistence was key to limit the damage and humiliation, but a 2-0 defeat will be a huge blow for a club that has won 36 league titles and 15 Champions League titles.
The defeat means Real will finish second this season, but it is not an unusual situation in La Liga, which has traditionally been a two-horse race. But the way they have failed this season – including being eliminated from Europe’s top table in the quarter-finals – has left the Spanish capital with far more questions than answers after a season of frustration.
How will Real solve problems like Mbappé?
The signing of Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago was seen as a return to the days when the world’s best talents were brought together and collectively known as the ‘Galacticos’.
Real had just achieved a league and European double under the acclaimed Carlo Ancelotti, the most successful manager in European history, having led the Galáctico roster in an earlier spell as manager of Los Blancos and no stranger to top-name managers.
But last season didn’t go as planned.
Mbappe’s arrival disrupted the 4-3-3 formation that had served Real so well for so long, with English midfielder Jude Bellingham playing a key advanced role and Vinicius Junior playing in front of and around him.
Both players were forced to change positions to accommodate Mbappé, who prefers to drop deep from a central position to connect plays and run with the ball.
It stepped on the toes of two major performers. Even Ancelotti was not immune to Real’s famous chop. Rumors have been circulating throughout the season that Ancelotti’s failure to energize his team could spell the end of Italy’s love affair with the Spaniard.
Introducing Xabi Alonso.
Alonso, who was seen as the solution to Madrid’s problems after taking German football by storm with Bayer Leverkusen, is touted as a midfield maestro, playing for both Madrid and the Spanish national team.
Rumors have been circulating since the off-season that the players did not accept Alonso’s system, and friction with Mbappe was often evident, despite reaffirming his goal-scoring ability. His 24 goals put him two places ahead of Spain’s top scorers this season.
It was clear that Alonso’s time had run out long before the end came, just as the clock turned to the new year. As interim head coach, Alvaro Arbeloa has been tasked with steering a seemingly rudderless ship through to the end of the season.
But Mbappé’s troubles are just beginning. By the end of the season, the ‘Mbappe sent out’ petition had collected over 33 million signatures, making the Frenchman the latest focus of Madridistas’ discontent.
Reconnecting Mbappé with the fans and connecting him with the style of play of his team-mates will be the main focus of the new season.
Can Real resolve the conflict between Vinicius Jr. and the fans?
Vinicius was fouled by the home fans before the match against Mbappe, and his performances that saw Bayern Munich eliminated from the Champions League were met with boos.
The Brazilian did not score in 19 games for club and country between October 10th and January 11th.
Ironically, Alonso’s unwanted winning streak ended in his last game as manager, a 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
But rifts were evident, with rumors circulating that the 25-year-old’s stay at the only club he had ever known was coming to an end.
Manchester United were the first to be linked with a move for the versatile forward, but any indication that Real could consider Vinicius as a way to rebuild their squad around Mbappe, their most lucrative asset on and off the field, would put all of Europe’s elite on alert.
Will Valverde and Choameni survive the dressing room turmoil?
It goes without saying that Real didn’t want any more unwanted headlines as the fateful day at Barcelona approached, let alone news from two of the brightest spots in a dark campaign.
Uruguay’s Federico Valverde and France’s Aurélien Choameni were involved in a brawl on the training ground on Thursday, with the former requiring hospitalization for head injuries, and the midfielder will be sidelined for the next few weeks.
Real were quick to fine both players on Friday, but Choameni remained in Barcelona’s starting XI.
If Real decide that one or both of them need to be sent off to avoid a potential toxic spill in the dressing room, then, as was the case with Vinicius, calls from Europe’s top clubs will likely work overtime to lock down one or the other.
Is Jose Mourinho’s return the answer for Real?
The time has come, has the person come?
Given the level of discontent across the club, it would take something close to a miracle to replace Alonso on a full-time basis.
Mourinho was not a popular player during his time in Real’s dugout, as he was seen as a defensive player who did not fit with Real’s free-spirited philosophy, given his pragmatic tactics.
Given the rift between Los Blancos and Barça, not to mention the financial resources of Germany and France’s top teams and the English Premier League, Real fans may be a little more forgiving of Mourinho’s style.
Ancelotti’s return from Italy’s Serie A, where he was only familiar with a defense-first mentality, has proven successful and popular, and Real are known to seek out managers with a long track record.
Mourinho, who says he has had no previous contact with Real, will be ruffled, as his time at Manchester United has shown. But he considered one of his greatest achievements to be finishing second behind intercity rivals City at the Old Trafford club.
It may not be possible for the 63-year-old, who won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup with Real from 2010 to 2013, to move Real up one place from back-to-back La Liga runners-up finishes. This spell also saw them reach the Champions League semi-finals three times.
The Portuguese has given Real an early start this season. His team, Benfica, won the league match 4-2, sending the Whites into the Champions League play-offs, where they eventually defeated Benfica in a two-leg rematch and progressed from there.
Who else could be Real’s next manager?
Jurgen Klopp’s rallying cry will certainly help Real reunite with their fans, which they so desperately need. He won both domestic and European titles with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, and is famous for uniting players and fans around a common, focused mindset. It could be an antidote to the current malaise, a cathartic approach that contrasts with the growing momentum behind Mourinho’s recent return.
Another widely respected German is Julian Nagelsmann. He currently coaches his country’s national team, but that role may end after the 2026 World Cup.
His age of 38 may be seen as a risk, as is Alonso, who is 44, but a three-year spell at Bayern Munich before taking up the Germany international job in 2023 could work in his favor.
Didier Deschamps is also thought to be nearing the end of his time as France team manager, while former France team-mate Zinedine Zidane has also been linked with a second spell at Real. Despite being 57 years old, Deschamps has limited experience as a club manager, in contrast to another front-runner, Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juventus to five successive league titles in his native Italy.
The task of managing one of the most successful clubs in football is becoming an enviable one. But the rebuilding will begin now, a rise from the ashes of the crash and burn that culminated in Sunday’s defeat deep in enemy territory at Camp Nou.
