There are bad seasons and then there are bad seasons. With confirmation of Barcelona’s La Liga title victory on Sunday evening, Real Madrid were condemned to a second successive season without a major trophy—but the lack of silverware is only one part of the story. It has been a true annus horribilis for Madrid in 2025–26, with the club spiraling into a state of chaos, amid reports of a toxic locker room that have only become more frequent as the season has gone on. Any initial hope that the fresh, young Xabi Alonso was the man to wrestle this team back to success was quickly dashed, while Álvaro Arbeloa has been little more than a lame duck manager during his half season in charge. Instead, the locker room has resembled something closer to Lord of the Flies for much of the campaign, with chasms forming between the roster’s factions. There are serious questions to be answered about the state of Madrid’s backline.…