FALSE 10: Real Madrid 25/26 - Netflix, what are you waiting for?

If you’re fans of Netflix, the world’s most popular streaming platform for films and series, you’ve probably noticed a wave of sports documentaries — stories about great triumphs and even greater failures. You might have come across a documentary about Jamie Vardy, the disaster of the French national team at the 2010 World Cup, and many others that capture key moments in the world of sport.

Another in a long line of films like this could easily be about everything that happened in the 2025/26 season at Real Madrid — so until another film or series like that appears, let’s go through this together!

An image that captures the entire situation at Real Madrid (©Gallo Images)

There was a time when Real Madrid represented pure power. A club that looked dangerous even in defeat. A club that, even when wounded, still inspired fear. But this season, Real Madrid no longer resembles a European superpower. It looks more like a luxury reality show collapsing in front of the cameras.

And for a club that spent decades building an aura of perfection, that may be the greatest humiliation of all.

El Barsico: Barcelona humiliate Real Madrid again to seal La Liga title

The defeat to Barcelona that effectively ended the title race was not just a sporting setback. It was the symbol of a season in which Real Madrid fell apart on every possible level. Barcelona overwhelmed them with intensity, identity and fearless football, while Madrid looked like a team without direction, without balance and — perhaps most alarmingly — without unity. What was supposed to be the beginning of a new dynasty has turned into a season filled with tension, scandals and public embarrassment.

And that is where the real problem begins.

Because in Madrid these days, football is no longer the main story. The headlines are dominated by arguments, internal conflicts, conspiracy theories and power struggles. After every setback, the club seems to wage war against referees, broadcasters and the system itself. Complaints about controversial decisions being “hidden by panoramic camera shots” sound less like the confidence of a giant and more like a club desperately searching for excuses. Real Madrid used to force others into paranoia. Now paranoia seems to define Real Madrid.

That is often the first sign of a collapsing empire.

False 10: You'll never make such a legacy alone like Mo did

The biggest clubs start to crumble the moment self-belief is replaced by suspicion. That is exactly what Madrid feels like today. A club once synonymous with composure and control now resembles an institution where everyone is fighting everyone — players against each other, management against supporters, the club against referees, and the media against the dressing room.

Nothing illustrates the chaos better than the explosive breakdown inside the squad. The reported altercation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni shocked even by modern football standards. Stories of Valverde ending up in hospital, suffering concussion symptoms and players physically attacking one another sound more like a Netflix drama than the reality of the world’s biggest football club. The million-euro fines handed out afterward felt less like authority and more like panic management.

Madrid in disarray: Chaos, meltdowns and the second round of Tchouameni-Valverde fight

Because once a dressing room breaks, everything breaks with it.

And this Real Madrid dressing room looks like a group of people who no longer trust each other, the coach or the hierarchy above them.

Kylian Mbappe, the man who was supposed to become the face of a new era, only added fuel to the fire. Everything changed when, during his recovery from injury, he was photographed on a luxury yacht in Sardinia with his girlfriend instead of supporting the team during one of the most difficult periods of the season.

Technically, he may not have broken any rules. But at Real Madrid, there are things you simply do not do. While his teammates were fighting through pressure, defeats and chaos, Mbappe appeared detached from the reality surrounding the club. To many supporters, those images became a symbol of disconnection — the moment the relationship between superstar and Bernabeu began to fracture.

Against everyone – Mbappe's conflict with everyone, fans launch a petition for his departure

The situation worsened when Mbappe publicly claimed he had been told he was the “fourth-choice forward” in the squad. Alvaro Arbeloa quickly denied the accusation, but the damage had already been done. At Real Madrid, public power games are never tolerated for long. And in recent months, Mbappe has looked less like the leader of a new project and more like an offended celebrity struggling with his own status.

Meanwhile, Florentino Perez is trying to maintain control of a club that increasingly appears to be slipping through his fingers. His recent press conference — where he essentially challenged critics to “face me and beat me” — sounded more like a speech from a politician under siege than from the president of a football club. And scenes of Perez arguing with supporters and ordering banners to be removed only highlighted how toxic the relationship between the club and its fanbase has become.

That may be the most dangerous part of all for Real Madrid.

FALSE 10: And all of a sudden... Again, cannon thunder

For decades, this club thrived on the unique energy between the Bernabeu and the team. Today, that connection feels almost broken. What remains is frustration, anger and the sense that everyone is blaming everyone else for the collapse.

Which is why the growing rumours surrounding Jose Mourinho suddenly make perfect sense. In times of chaos, Real Madrid instinctively turns toward figures who know how to manage war zones. Mourinho has always been a manager built for crisis — someone capable of creating discipline out of disorder, even if explosions come along the way. The mere fact his name is once again circulating around Madrid says everything about how serious the situation has become.

Mourinho edging closer to sensational Real Madrid return as exit clause emerges

And perhaps the most powerful verdict on the season came from Toni Kroos. A player never known for exaggeration openly admitted that it is “not normal” for Real Madrid to go two years without winning a major title. That, ultimately, is the heart of the issue. This is not simply about losing trophies. Real Madrid can survive a bad season. It has happened before.

But Real Madrid is not supposed to lose its dignity.

This season, the club lost far more than silverware. It lost calmness. It lost authority. It lost identity. And worst of all, it started looking like a club that no longer understands where the problem is — because the problems are everywhere.

On the pitch. In the dressing room. In the boardroom. In the stands.

And that is why this season will not simply be remembered as unsuccessful.

It will be remembered as the season Real Madrid, for the first time in a very long time, looked small.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 37

Sunday

20.00: (2.25) Ath.Bilbao (3.15) Celta (3.60)

20.00: (1.77) Atl.Madrid (3.75) Girona (4.50)

20.00: (2.30) Elche (2.95) Getafe (3.80)

20.00: (2.20) Levante (3.50) Mallorca (3.50)

20.00: (2.15) Osasuna (3.45) Espanyol (3.70)

20.00: (3.90) Oviedo (3.50) Alaves (1.95)

20.00: (2.45) Rayo Vallecano (3.40) Villareal (2.85)

20.00: (3.15) Sevilla (3.60) Real Madrid (2.25)

20.00: (2.25) Sociedad (3.50) Valencia (3.40)

22.15: (1.38) Barcelona (5.60) Betis (6.80)

***odds are subject to change***