Jose Mourinho has reportedly failed to ease tension inside Real Madrid’s dressing room, with a Spanish radio journalist claiming the atmosphere remains “icy” despite the Portuguese coach’s return to the club.
Madrid’s previous season was marked by reports of disagreements between players and coaches.
The tension appeared to boil over in May, when midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were involved in a physical altercation.
Mourinho returned to Real in the summer with a reputation for demanding discipline and intensity.
But Cadena SER reports that the squad’s difficult relationships have continued, with two players said to have recently come to blows in the dressing room.
Neither player was identified, however.
Journalist Anton Meana said the atmosphere had not improved since last season, despite Mourinho’s arrival.
“The only problem is that the atmosphere in the dressing room is still as icy as it was five months ago,” he said.
“This coldness in the dressing room, which even Mourinho’s intensity hasn’t managed to dispel, combined with the turmoil surrounding the Mbappé situation, has created a tense climate, far from ideal for approaching this crucial month of October.”
The report comes amid scrutiny of Kylian Mbappe’s recovery from a left-knee injury sustained while playing for France.
He withdrew from the national squad after scoring against Turkey and returned to Madrid for treatment.
The club diagnosed a hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee.
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Mbappe was later seen in Paris with his partner, Ester Expósito, and shared a video of himself cycling in the Swiss Alps.
Reports about Mourinho’s response have differed, though.
Spanish outlet AS said the Paris trip had been approved by the coach, staff and club doctors, while Marca journalist Pablo Polo reported that Mourinho was unhappy with how the forward managed his recovery and with his return to training.
Mourinho has previously warned players against risky activities such as cycling, saying: “You are a football player 24 hours a day.
“Everything reflects the job. What you eat, what you drink, how you sleep, even things in your private life.
“You cannot ski. You cannot ride a bike.”
According to Polo, Mourinho privately urged Mbappe to be more discreet.
Real have won five of their first seven league matches under Mourinho, but are six points behind Barcelona. They host Villarreal on Saturday before travelling to Roma for a Champions League fixture next Wednesday.
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