The phrase fell like a bomb in Valdebebas and spread across Europe at lightning speed. It was not a slip or a statement taken out of context. It was a direct message, raw and without nuances, delivered from the still open wound of a lost final.

“I’d rather stay on the bench all season than share the field with him for even a minute. Every time I see him on the field, I only feel ashamed, as if I were betraying both my career and my own honor.”

Thus, without filters, Fede Valverde exposed an internal fracture that Real Madrid had been trying to hide for weeks.

The 3-2 defeat against Barcelona in the final of the 2025/26 Spanish Super Cup not only left a title in the hands of the eternal rival. It revealed a tense, divided locker room on the verge of implosion.

While Barcelona celebrated on the grass, on the white side the silence was thick, uncomfortable, almost unbreathable. And it was in that context, still with the echo of the goals resonating in his head, when Valverde decided to speak.

Not as a captain, not as a spokesman for the club, but as a footballer who feels that a red line has been crossed.

According to sources close to the locker room, the Uruguayan’s discomfort did not arise in the final.

The explosion was only the consequence of weeks, even months, of accumulated tensions, of sporting decisions that Valverde considers unjustifiable and of an increasingly unsustainable coexistence with a teammate whose name, for now, remains at the center of all speculation.

What is clear is that the relationship was broken long before the opening whistle, and that the result against Barça was the definitive spark.

Valverde, one of the most respected players on the team for his dedication, silent leadership and non-negotiable commitment, chose the most radical path: either him or me. His warning was as forceful as it was dangerous.

He assured that he will leave the club immediately if that player is called up again for future El Clásico matches, matches that not only define titles, but also internal hierarchies and symbols of identity.

In a club like Real Madrid, where the weight of the shield is above any name, such an ultimatum represents a direct challenge to the sporting structure.

The internal reaction was immediate. The board, surprised by the harshness of the message and the media impact it generated in a matter of minutes, activated crisis protocols. But it was Xabi Alonso, first team coach, who understood that the situation required something more than formal statements.

The coach intervened personally, holding private meetings with both Valverde and other heavyweights in the locker room, in a desperate attempt to cool a fire that threatened to get out of control.

Xabi Alonso is aware that it is not just a personal conflict. What is at stake is the stability of a sports project that is just beginning to consolidate.

An open fracture in the locker room, especially involving a player as influential as Valverde, can drag down the rest of the group and turn every training session, every call-up and every game into a minefield.

The coach knows that a wrong decision now can have irreversible consequences in the medium term.

Meanwhile, the silence of the club contrasts with the noise outside. Fans, former players and analysts debate tirelessly about what happened. Some defend Valverde’s bravery, interpreting his words as an act of brutal honesty in a football increasingly dominated by empty speeches.

Others, however, criticize the public exposure of the conflict and consider that the Uruguayan crossed a limit by putting the authority of the coach and the club in check.

The truth is that Real Madrid faces an uncomfortable crossroads. Ignoring the problem is not an option. Forcing a superficial reconciliation does not seem viable either. The crisis is real, deep and latent, like a crack that can open again at the slightest impact.

Each future call, especially in matches of maximum tension like El Clásico, will be analyzed with a magnifying glass, interpreted as a political gesture within the locker room.

For now, Xabi Alonso has managed to gain time. It has temporarily calmed tempers and prevented the conflict from escalating immediately. But no one within the club is deceived: the wound is still open.

The defeat in the Super Cup was only the visible trigger of a deeper problem, one that threatens to explode at any moment if firm and painful decisions are not made.

At Real Madrid, where history weighs as much as the present, the question is no longer if there will be consequences, but when and how devastating they will be.