Mourinho failed the test off the touchlineSpanish radio station “Cadena SER” has lifted the lid on a tense atmosphere inside the Real Madrid dressing room, confirming that the coolness and disputes which surfaced last season still linger, despite Portuguese coach José Mourinho taking charge this summer.Real Madrid return to La Liga action on Saturday when they host Villarreal, following an international break of around three weeks and their 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the last round.A punishing October lies ahead for the Royal club. They face Roma, host Sevilla and Leipzig, then travel to Barcelona for the La Liga Clásico on the 25th of the month.The players may have been away with their national teams, but the mood inside the dressing room looks anything but settled. That’s according to journalist Antón Meana, who told the programme “El Larguero” that the situation was “far from reassuring”.Next matchesRMALaLiga11 Oct 202603:00VILA cold atmosphere and a clash between playersMeana said, as reported by the French network RMC, that the fundamental problem hasn’t changed, explaining: “The only problem is that I still see the dressing room as cold as it was five months ago”.Since arriving at Real Madrid, Mourinho has yet to shift the dynamic of a group whose relationship was poor with Xabi Alonso or Álvaro Arbeloa in the previous period, the journalist pointed out.He added that, according to the available information, matters reached a clash between two players, without revealing their identities.Even Mourinho’s strong personality has failed to thaw the dressing room, and that coolness has collided with the uproar around Kylian Mbappé, creating a tense atmosphere ahead of a hugely important month for the Royal club.Mbappé’s situation adds to the pressureKylian Mbappé, meanwhile, returned to group training with Real Madrid on Wednesday, for the first time since suffering an injury on duty with France against Turkey.His physical condition has improved markedly, according to “Cadena SER”, and he is available to face Villarreal, handing Mourinho the option of starting him.Mbappé had stirred controversy during the international break, first through his appearance at a nightlife venue, then by posting a clip while riding a bicycle, all while recovering from the injury.Even so, sources inside Real Madrid insist, according to the Spanish radio station, that there is no discontent towards the player, and that the management believes he acted in line with what was agreed during his recovery period.”Cadena SER” also indicated that Mourinho spoke with Mbappé this week, in an attempt to steer him towards more caution and calm in his life off the pitch.Real Madrid, for their part, do not expect Mbappé to be jeered by the Santiago Bernabéu crowd against Villarreal, and the club has reaffirmed its support for both player and coach in handling the controversy surrounding him.
