Real Madrid star tells Alvaro Arbeloa not to contact him again following ‘unpleasant’ meeting and ‘explosive row’

The situation at Valdebebas has reached breaking point, with a report from Marca claiming an "unpleasant face-to-face meeting" took place between Ceballos and Arbeloa. Tensions had been simmering for some time, but the former Arsenal man finally snapped after failing to feature in the first-team setup since returning from injury in April.

According to the report, the meeting was requested by Ceballos himself, but the report claims it quickly descended into an explosive row. Following the clash, the 29-year-old midfielder is said to have gone back to his team-mates and made it clear that he had requested Arbeloa does not contact him again. The relationship is now described as being beyond repair.

The immediate fallout was seen last Friday when Ceballos notably did not even make the bench when Real Madrid travelled to face Real Betis. In his absence, Arbeloa’s side struggled to a 1-1 draw, conceding a late equaliser that dealt a massive blow to their title aspirations. The result allowed arch-rivals Barcelona to move even closer to securing consecutive La Liga crown.

Club insiders suggest that while Ceballos will continue to participate in training sessions until the end of the campaign to maintain fitness, he will be frozen out of the squad list. It is expected that he will not play a single minute in the final five league matches of the season, effectively ending his season prematurely as the club navigates a trophyless period.

Interestingly, some figures within the Real Madrid hierarchy reportedly believe that Ceballos’ outburst may have been calculated. There are suggestions that the midfielder attempted to deliberately create the conflict with Arbeloa in order to justify his lack of playing time and force a move away from the Bernabeu during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Ceballos has just one year remaining on his current contract and has long been linked with a return to his boyhood club, Real Betis. After turning down a move to Marseille last summer, a return to Seville now seems the most likely outcome for a player who appears to have no future in the Spanish capital under the current coaching regime.

The timing of this dispute is particularly difficult for Arbeloa, who is already under immense pressure. Having taken over from Xabi Alonso in January, Arbeloa has managed 23 games with 14 wins, but a Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich has left his position vulnerable. Reports suggest Florentino Perez is already looking at replacements for the bench.

Indeed, Mourinho could be making a sensational return, with the Portuguese identified as the preferred candidate to take the reins. Currently at Benfica, Mourinho has directly addressed the growing speculation. With the dressing room in disarray and the title slipping away, a change in leadership at the Bernabeu looks increasingly inevitable.