Veteran Spanish defender Dani Carvajal is living the most difficult days of his career at Real Madrid and the Marca newspaper has dedicated a long article to his not-so-good situation.
The Bernabeu gave Carvajal a standing ovation when he was substituted in the derby on March 22. It was a double honour: firstly, for his brilliant performance against Atletico; secondly, for an impressive and legendary career.
There is a feeling in the air that the captain is playing his last games for Real Madrid (his contract ends on June 30 and it seems unlikely that he will renew it) and fans do not want to miss any opportunity to thank him for his extraordinary career as a Madrid player whenever possible.
In short, the match against Atletico was a double victory for Carvajal: he won the derby and did so as a starter in a brilliant performance. A morale boost in very difficult times for the veteran defender who, however, has not had consistent playing time. Because after the break, he did not play a single minute against Mallorca or Bayern. Difficult for Carvajal, who could have an opportunity against Girona.
Carvajal is going through a very difficult few weeks. Dark days in which he has faced a reality he was not used to: a reduced role in the team that has pushed his patience to the limit and diminished his once commanding presence in the dressing room.
In short, it has demoralized him. The severity of his recent injuries (two knee operations in a year) and the increasing competition for his position, with the ‘Fede formula’ at one point and the emergence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, have pushed him out of the starting lineup. He is no longer untouchable and his diminished influence on the team has become increasingly apparent. For example, he was left on the bench without playing a single minute against Mallorca and Bayern.
The situation is proving difficult to accept: as captain, as a player with an extraordinary competitive spirit and as a legend who has dominated a position with an iron fist, a position in which he has not faced competition since returning to Real Madrid in 2013. Now, for the first time, his performance has been called into question following his return from the very serious knee injury he suffered last season. Carvajal does not agree with this perceived decline in form, nor with the delay in giving him a chance to try and regain his best form.
A comeback that wasn’t what was expected
Carvajal returned from his latest injury on 4 January against Real Betis. After his return, playing time proved more difficult than he had expected. Xabi Alonso was given no minutes, with Trent still out with an injury, and Arbeloa was given them sparingly.
The Spaniard began to get frustrated. Until he exploded. Being benched without playing a minute against Rayo Vallecano on February 1 caused tension between the captain and the new coach. That tension increased a week later when Arbeloa gave up his place in the starting lineup against Valencia at Mestalla to academy product David Jimenez, leaving Carvajal and Trent, who was returning to the team from injury, on the bench.
Carvajal’s anger was evident in his heated exchange with Antonio Pintus at the end of the match, which went viral because it happened on the pitch just minutes after the final whistle, while the players who hadn’t played were carrying out their usual post-match recovery training.
The incident at Mestalla brought to light the ‘Carvajal case’ and led to a face-to-face meeting between the player and the coach after the team returned to training. The objective was to calm things down and clarify the situation.
After the match, the first consequence was that David Jimenez returned to Castilla. Since Mestalla, the young player has not been included in the squad list, paving the way for Carvajal to get more playing time. The captain also failed to start against Real Sociedad on February 14, although he played half an hour as a substitute for the Englishman. He remained unhappy with the situation and this was reflected in his daily interactions.
An outburst that those at Valdebebas believe was the cause of an unpleasant incident with a young player. In a training session before the match against Osasuna in Pamplona, Carvajal got carried away and made a rather strong tackle on Valdepenas, a Castilla defender, causing him a knee injury that kept him out of the field for a month, but which could have had worse consequences. “It was a very bad tackle,” recalled those present at Valdebebas.
The ‘forced’ Truce of Trent
Some dark days were briefly interrupted thanks to Trent. The Englishman’s lateness in one of the training sessions before the derby cost him his starting place against Atletico. In the last session before the match against the Rojiblancos, Carvajal was tested with the starting 11 and eventually started the match. This circumstance reconciled him with Arbeloa. The captain praised the coach’s determination in handling the situation and the opportunity he was given in what was a decisive match for the league title.
Arbeloa convinced Carvajal with a decision that resonated in the dressing room, similar to his previous decisions to keep Fran Garcia and Brahim Diaz in the starting lineup. Carvajal played, received a standing ovation from the Bernabeu fans after being substituted, and hugged Arbeloa, with whom he was seen arguing with Munuera after Valverde’s dismissal.
This reaction was significant because just a few weeks ago, he had seemed reserved in the dressing room and on the bench, lacking the leadership he had always displayed, even before he became captain. It was a glimmer of hope before he returned to the tunnel of being a substitute. His solitude on the bench and his blank stare after the defeat at Son Moix spoke volumes.
Against Bayern, it was more or less the same. These are dark days for Carvajal, who is not only seeing his chance for a chance at Real Madrid slip away, but also his chance with the national team and a World Cup that should have been the crowning achievement of his monumental career.
