Real Madrid head into El Clasico with the pressure already enormous, but the mood behind the scenes has become just as significant as the football itself. Internal flashpoints involving senior figures, uncertainty over the coaching situation, and a dressing room that appears increasingly fractured have all added to the sense that this is a club approaching one of the season’s biggest matches in a deeply unsettled state.

At the centre of the latest tension is Kylian Mbappe. The French forward has been involved in a training ground dispute with a member of the coaching staff, while separate unrest involving Antonio Rudiger has further contributed to a worsening atmosphere at Valdebebas. With Barcelona knowing a draw on Sunday would be enough to seal the title, Madrid now face a defining Clasico clouded by instability, frustration, and growing scrutiny around several key figures.

Mbappe and Rudiger incidents deepen the unrest

The first major flashpoint came in April, when Antonio Rudiger was involved in a heated confrontation with another first team player in the dressing rooms at Real Madrid’s training ground. According to multiple sources, the incident was started by Rudiger. The Germany international later apologised, and last Friday he invited team mates and their families to lunch in what appeared to be an effort to calm the situation.

That was not the end of it. Before Madrid’s trip to Real Betis on April 24, Mbappe was involved in his own dispute, this time with a member of the coaching staff during a training exercise. Sources said the forward reacted angrily and used insulting language towards the coach, who had been acting as an assistant referee on the touchline and flagged him offside.

Such flare ups are not unheard of in elite football, and there is no indication that either Rudiger or Mbappe has been punished internally. Even so, both incidents matter because of the bigger picture. They have not happened in isolation. They are part of a broader sense that the atmosphere around Madrid has deteriorated since last month’s Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.

Why Mbappe has become such a talking point

Mbappe’s recent behaviour has not gone down well with many around the club. Several people at Madrid and close to the dressing room have criticised both the player and the club’s handling of the situation, believing a firmer response should have followed.

The discontent has not been limited to the training ground row. Mbappe has also faced internal criticism over a trip to Italy with his partner while recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered against Betis on April 24. He was given some days off last week and returned to Madrid on Sunday evening, shortly before kick off in the away game against Espanyol.

That decision did not sit well with many supporters, especially with the team going through such a difficult spell. The issue quickly became a hot topic, and Alvaro Arbeloa was asked about Mbappe multiple times after the win at Espanyol.

“In their free time, each player does what they see fit, and I don’t get involved in that,” the Madrid manager said.

“All planning regarding injured players is supervised and managed by Madrid’s medical staff, who are the ones who decide when they need to go to Valdebebas (the club’s training centre) and when they don’t.”

Arbeloa’s comments were clearly aimed at distancing himself from the matter. Even so, a well placed source later indicated that the coach is unhappy with how the club has handled the situation.

Mbappe’s representatives later responded with a statement defending the player’s professionalism and commitment. “A portion of the criticism is based on an over-interpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club, and does not reflect the reality of Kylian’s commitment and daily work for the team.”

The obvious football question now is whether Mbappe will be fit for Sunday. He has scored 41 goals in 41 games in all competitions this season and remains Madrid’s most decisive attacking figure. Yet his availability is still unclear.

“We’ll see how Mbappe is this week,” Arbeloa said. “After last week’s tests, it looked as though it might take a bit longer.”

When asked again on Monday, one training ground source offered a blunt response: “Only he knows it.” Another club source said he would be assessed again on Wednesday.

The mood around Real Madrid is deeply worrying

The incidents involving Mbappe and Rudiger are the most visible examples of the problem, but they are not the whole story. The wider feeling around Madrid is one of discord rather than unity, and there appears to be little sense of collective momentum ahead of such a decisive match.

Sources describe a first team environment where several players are unhappy, where uncertainty over individual futures is adding to the strain, and where Arbeloa’s own position remains unstable. The impression is that this has been building for some time rather than appearing suddenly.

Managing the Real Madrid dressing room has always required a certain authority and clarity. Right now, Arbeloa is trying to do that while working under the widespread expectation that he may not even be in charge next season. That is not exactly the ideal backdrop for a title defining Clasico or for a premium football stadium experience that travelling supporters would normally expect from a fixture of this scale. Instead of anticipation built around form and tactics alone, this game now carries the feel of a club wrestling with itself.

Vinicius saves the day at Espanyol but questions remain

Madrid did at least manage to beat Espanyol 2 0 on Sunday, but even that result did not do much to ease the concern. The first half performance was underwhelming, with the team looking flat and short of spark for long stretches. It took two brilliant second half goals from Vinicius Junior to secure the points.

Vinicius has now scored 16 goals in 2026, a figure bettered only by Harry Kane’s 24 among players in Europe’s top five leagues. That return looks even more striking when set against the fact that he had scored only six goals in 27 appearances under Alonso, something those closest to the Brazilian have been keen to point out.

There was also another moment at the Espanyol game that attracted attention. In the 11th minute, Ferland Mendy went off injured and Fran Garcia was sent on in his place. Television cameras caught Alvaro Carreras laughing in reaction, which immediately triggered fresh debate among supporters.

Carreras, a €50million signing from Benfica last summer, has found opportunities harder to come by since Arbeloa replaced Xabi Alonso in January. He has been an unused substitute in three of Madrid’s last four matches, and there has also been tension between him and Arbeloa in recent weeks.

Members of the coaching staff have raised concerns about the 23 year old’s attitude and professionalism, although those close to the player strongly reject that assessment. It is another example, perhaps a smaller one, of a club where friction seems to be appearing in too many places at once.

Attention also turns to the next manager

As if the current tension were not enough, the question of who will lead Madrid next season is becoming harder to ignore.

There is growing focus on the club’s next coaching decision, with reports that Florentino Perez’s preferred option is Benfica manager Jose Mourinho, who previously led Madrid between 2010 and 2013. No final decision has been taken, but the fact that such discussions are so prominent only adds to the sense that the current project is already being judged as unstable.

There are also signs that Madrid are thinking beyond the dugout. Talks have taken place with Toni Kroos over a possible return to the Bernabeu in a role that has not yet been fully defined, which suggests the club is already laying groundwork for a new phase.

On the injury front, Thibaut Courtois is also being monitored closely. The Belgian goalkeeper has been out since suffering a thigh injury in the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Manchester City on March 16, though Madrid remain hopeful he could return for Sunday’s game against Barcelona.

Mendy’s situation looks more worrying. Sources say the muscular injury he picked up at Espanyol may require surgery, and further tests are still to come. Given his recent history of serious fitness problems, that is another headache Madrid could do without.

Real Madrid approach El Clasico with everything feeling fragile

For a club built on control, authority, and relentless standards, the current picture is strikingly messy. Mbappe’s training ground clash, Rudiger’s dressing room confrontation, the uncertainty over Arbeloa, and the visible frustration around selection and injuries have all combined to create a tense and uneasy atmosphere ahead of one of the biggest fixtures in world football.

That is what makes this Clasico so fascinating. It is not just a match between Madrid and Barcelona. It is a test of whether this Madrid side can still produce under pressure while so much around them feels unresolved. For football fans drawn to football weekends abroad, away days abroad, and major European football travel moments, El Clasico always carries its own pull. This one, though, arrives with something heavier in the air. Madrid are not just chasing a result. They are trying to hold themselves together.