New Crisis at Real Madrid Caused by "Marginalized" Player

SadaNews - A Spanish report revealed a new crisis facing Real Madrid under the leadership of the new coach Álvaro Arbeloa, as one of the team's players complained about being marginalized and not being relied upon, despite his technical readiness.

The newspaper "Marca" reported that Austrian defender David Alaba expressed his strong dissatisfaction with his limited playing time since returning from injury, pointing out that he has become a new ticking time bomb for coach Álvaro Arbeloa, following captain Dani Carvajal.

Alaba is Angry

Alaba (33 years old) returned to the pitch from his last injury on December 20, 2025, in a match between Real Madrid and Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, after recovering from a muscle injury that sidelined him for a month.

Upon his return, Alaba found no place for himself in the team, whether as a starter or even as a substitute. Out of 11 matches he was called for, he participated in only 5 matches as a substitute, totalling 65 minutes.

Alaba expected to have a larger role and importance in the team upon his return, but the reality was completely different to the extent that even with the defensive problems Real Madrid is experiencing, he was not given a greater chance to participate in matches.

Alaba did not remain idle regarding his current situation, as he directly informed the coach that he does not understand the reason for not being relied upon sufficiently, placing Arbeloa in another sporting problem, according to the newspaper.

It stated that "the minutes received by a player with Alaba's career, experience, and status are very few," especially considering his need to play to reach the next World Cup at the best possible level.

It seems that Alaba's story with Real Madrid has quickly turned into a painful experience, as after two successful seasons in which he was a key defender and a captain in winning the fourteenth Champions League title, he suffered a serious knee injury in December 2023.

Since then, "nothing is as it was" for Alaba, who has endured a long series of injuries preventing him from maintaining his importance in the team.

The Last Season

Alaba is currently spending his last season with Real Madrid given his contract, in which he has only participated in 9 matches across all competitions for a total of 210 minutes according to data from the famous "Transfermarkt" website.

Due to this situation and the player's failure to regain his form, Real Madrid decided not to offer a renewal, thus making his departure from the team almost certain, according to "Marca".

Alaba joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 from Bayern Munich on a free transfer, wearing the royal team jersey in 125 matches across all competitions, scoring 5 goals and providing 6 assists.

Alaba has won 8 titles with Real Madrid: 2 La Liga, 1 Copa del Rey, 1 Spanish Super Cup, 2 Champions League, 1 UEFA Super Cup, and 1 Club World Cup (Intercontinental).

Source: Marca