A growing sentiment within Real Madrid’s board suggests that the dressing room lacks a true leader capable of maintaining order and supporting the manager. This has raised serious questions about the club’s historical mechanism for selecting the team captain.
The Tradition Under Fire
Currently, Dani Carvajal serves as the captain of Real Madrid. However, his appointment wasn’t based on leadership merit but rather on the long-standing tradition at the Santiago Bernabéu: the player with the longest tenure automatically becomes the captain.
According to Diario AS, many players now doubt whether this is the optimal way to lead. These doubts intensified following recent dressing room tensions, most notably the high-profile spat between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde.
The “Modric & Kroos” Void
The club’s management is acutely aware that the departure of Luka Modric at the start of this season left a massive leadership vacuum. The absence of legendary figures like Sergio Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Toni Kroos has cast a negative shadow over the team’s discipline in recent years.
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The “Barcelona Model”: A New Strategy?
To fix this, Real Madrid is considering adopting a system similar to FC Barcelona, where players vote to elect their captains before each season, rather than relying solely on seniority.
Critics argue it is impractical to rely on “moody” players for leadership, specifically pointing to Valverde (Vice-Captain) or Vinicius Jr. (Fourth Captain). The proposed solution is for the squad to elect three trusted, reliable leaders, aligning with the standard practice in most top European clubs.
A Tense Future Under Alvaro Arbeloa
With Dani Carvajal set to leave at the end of this season, Fede Valverde is technically next in line to lead the squad under manager Alvaro Arbeloa next season. However, this transition is reportedly facing internal opposition from players who desire a change in the selection process.
