Devastated by the 3-0 defeat against Arsenal, Real Madrid were quick to react internally. As soon as the final whistle blew, four dressing room leaders spoke out to shake up the squad and boost morale ahead of the return match.
The shock was brutal. On Tuesday night, Arsenal simply walked over Real Madrid in a one-sided quarter-final first leg. Two free kicks from Declan Rice , a third goal from Merino , and a Bernabéu already beginning to doubt.
The Madrid press spared nothing: Mbappé was deemed invisible, the midfield dominated, the defense apathetic. An implacable observation, summed up bluntly by Marca: “A failing and ineffective Mbappé. As gray as the shirt he wore.”
Crisis meeting in the locker room
But the dressing room did not fall silent. According to El Chiringuito , four voices were raised immediately after the match: Federico Valverde, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham. All spoke in an attempt to rekindle the momentum and mentally prepare the ground for the return.
Valverde was the first to break the ice: “Two free kicks and we don’t react.” A
simple sentence, but one that left its mark on the group. Then the speeches continued. One of the players reportedly said:
“We have to prove that we are Real Madrid, we have 15 Champions.” A
reminder of the weight of the institution and its glorious past, intended to rekindle the spark in a shaken locker room.
“We must score in the first fifteen minutes.”
The message quickly turned to the goal of the comeback. An unidentified player blurted out the phrase that everyone agreed on: “We have to score in the first fifteen minutes. If we do that, we’ll come back.” This statement reportedly prompted a round of applause in the locker room. The order of the day was given: mission reversal. The Bernabéu awaits its miracle. And even without the suspended Eduardo Camavinga, Real Madrid still believes in its ability to write a new page in its European history.
Vinicius Junior, often criticized for his inconsistency, also tried to rekindle the flame. He posted on Instagram a few hours after the defeat: “Things have always happened in this stadium. And we can do it again. Until the end. Always.” Real
Madrid has won everything before, but it also knows how to bounce back. Next Wednesday, the Bernabéu will become a stage. And the players, led by Valverde, Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinicius, know there will be no second chances. Now is not the time for regrets, but for pride.
