Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, Getty Images January 17, 2026, 9:21 p.m

The home match against Levante started for Real Madrid with an open conflict between the stands and the team. Even during the announcement of the lineups, the stadium announcer was forced to pause — the names of the team’s leaders, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, were drowned in deafening whistles and rumbles of discontent.

After losing El Clasico in the final of the Spanish Super Cup (3:2) and a humiliating fiasco and relegation from the Copa del Rey, the atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium turned from disappointment to outright hostility. The fans of the cream, enraged by the latest failures of the club, chose as their target those who were carried in their arms yesterday.

Vinicius and Bellingham, who should have led the team behind them, faced unprecedented aggression from the Bernabeu during the warm-up. Posters demanding the resignation of club president Florentin Perez and insulting shouts accompanied every touch of the football players before the start of the game.

For head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, this situation became a real test. The legend of the club, who now leads the team, found himself in a difficult situation: he needs not only to fix the game, but also to psychologically restore his key performers, who were under intense pressure from his own public.

To the joy of the fans of the royal club, Real Madrid confidently won the first victory under the leadership of Arbeloa, beating La Liga outsiders Levante (2:0).