Recent events at Real Madrid have been described as the most dramatic in the club’s 21st-century history. Following an alleged altercation between Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni on Thursday, which prompted an investigation and potential disciplinary action, it has come to light that dressing room tensions have been escalating for months. Earlier in the week, reports also surfaced of a physical confrontation between Alvaro Carreras and Antonio Rudiger, and a falling out between Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, and Raul Asencio with manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
Real Madrid Players Refer to Arbeloa as ‘Cone’
According to Onda Cero, the relationship between Arbeloa and his players has significantly deteriorated. Arbeloa was reportedly absent during the incident involving Valverde and Tchouameni, and he appears to have lost the respect of many within the squad. There are accounts of Carreras being seen laughing at Arbeloa’s decision to field Fran Garcia ahead of him in a match against Espanyol.
Onda Cero further reports that several Real Madrid players have begun referring to Arbeloa as ‘cone’. During matches, multiple players have been observed making gestures with their hands over their mouths while insulting Arbeloa and questioning his decisions. Players on the bench have also reportedly used this nickname.
Arbeloa, through his staff, has been made aware of these disparaging remarks, and it is suggested that several players have subsequently been excluded from squads. Notably, both Ceballos and Asencio have missed out on Real Madrid squads in the last two months under the guise of technical decisions.
Origin of the ‘Cone’ Insult
The ‘cone’ insult reportedly originates from former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique. During an interview, Pique referred to someone as ‘cono-cido’ (acquaintance) rather than a friend, intentionally emphasizing the “cono” part of the word, which translates to “cone.” Pique later incorporated this into a marketing campaign displayed on Gran Via, a prominent street in Madrid, in February of this year.
