Real Madrid dropped two points on Sunday at the Vicente Calderon. It was a result that left a sour taste in the mouth but Rafa Benitez’s teething problems do not begin and end with matters on the pitch, far from it.
Benitez’s side remain unbeaten this season, but a failure to see off their local rivals was considered a setback, particularly in light of a strangely insipid performance that let Diego Simeone’s men and Barca for that matter, who lost against Sevilla at last weekend, off the hook.
Of more concern to Benitez, however, should be the cracks that are beginning to emerge between himself and the major players and egos in the Madrid dressing room, most notably Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema.
Little by little, the relationship between the manager and his star men has been deteriorating, Goal has learned. Benitez’s arrival was accompanied with mild optimism due to his renowned dedication and madridista background, but small and persistent gestures are damaging the discourse between the coach and his players.
His communications with the press have exacerbated the situation. His first error was to decline an open goal and declare Cristiano Ronaldo the best player in the world. But there have been other notable and avoidable mistakes such as calling out Ramos for the mistake that led to the penalty against Atletico and his criticism of Jese Rodriguez for not training hard enough.
Meanwhile, Goal has also established from sources close to the club that it did not go down too well in some circles when Benitez announced that Ronaldo was the only "indisputable" player in the squad – especially as he was not directly asked about the player’s status.
Some decisions with regard to team selection and substitutions have also upset several players - not only Benzema, who went public with his frustration at being withdrawn with 13 minutes of the derby remaining.
Sections of the dressing room have also been left cold as a result of Benitez’s methodical techniques and the way he governs his squad. On top of that, his decisions and quotes with regard to his players are seen, in some quarters, as provocative, especially when in several cases they have been used to deflect criticism of himself onto others..
The club are keen to play down all of those problems, putting the murmurings of discontent down to a new coach adapting to his players and an intense press scrutiny - especially in a week without club football. However, none of the various factions have outright denied that the connection between the coach and the squad is not as strong as it might be.
Indeed, the public sparring between Benitez and Ramos has only served to heighten the tension. Ramos appeared at Spain's base in Las Rozas this week without his bags, fully aware that he was not going to stay with the squad, showing his face in the knowledge the press would be waiting for a sound bite. Radio Marca reported that the pair had settled their differences on Wednesday, but it should not have got to this stage already, not so early into Benitez’s tenure.
Ultimately, the feeling is that Benitez has barely been able to show off his qualities as the dedicated, exhaustive (almost to the point of obsession) and passionate (he admitted he had stayed until 3am watching videos at the Valdebebas training ground on occasion) coach he is known to be.
There is logical unease caused by the fact that the team is not seducing with its performances on the pitch. "We need to learn from our mistakes," sources high up at the Bernabeu told Goal, making it clear that this project must improve if it is to achieve the desired success at a demanding club like Madrid.
However, there is also confidence that sooner or later, the Rafa revolution will pick up speed and make a return to the Cibeles fountain (where the club celebrate their titles) next May. "We will win La Liga," senior sources told Goal with a mixture of hope and self-conviction.
Time will tell whether or not Benitez is able to achieve harmony in the dressing room and deliver the type of quality football Real Madrid have long been associated with. At the Bernabeu, there is still hope that both can be achieved.
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