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Álvaro Arbeloa declined to comment on reports of a confrontation with Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, stating that "what happens in the dressing room stays in the dressing room."
Reports emerged in early April that Arbeloa had been involved in a heated dispute with defender Raúl Asencio, and now MARCA claims Ceballos has also clashed with the manager away from the public eye.
What Happened Between Ceballos and Arbeloa?
Ceballos has been a peripheral figure at Madrid for a number of years. Under Arbeloa, he has managed only five appearances totaling just 144 minutes of action.
Reports suggest tensions had been simmering between Ceballos and Arbeloa before coming to a head on Thursday, when the midfielder visited his manager's office for a private discussion. The details of that conversation have not been disclosed publicly.
Nevertheless, it is alleged that Ceballos told his Madrid teammates that he had requested Arbeloa "not to have any contact" with him for the remainder of the season, at which point Ceballos is once again expected to be made available in the transfer market.
The exact reason behind Ceballos' confrontation with Arbeloa remains unclear. The report even suggests that club officials believe the midfielder may have deliberately stirred up controversy in an effort to undermine their bargaining position as he seeks a summer move, with a return to Real Betis having fallen through on multiple occasions in recent years.
While Madrid were keen to avoid further internal unrest following a season already overshadowed by tensions between former head coach Xabi Alonso and star winger Vinicius Junior, those at the top of the Bernabéu hierarchy have thrown their support behind Arbeloa.
Arbeloa Responds to Ceballos Incident
As expected, the matter was the opening question directed at Arbeloa during his press conference on Saturday.
The Madrid manager neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, but made clear he had no intention of addressing internal matters publicly.
"I don't engage in public disputes over situations involving my players," he stated.
"I've been part of this locker room for more than 20 years, and the very first lesson I learned is that what happens inside stays inside. I've held that belief for 20 years, and I'm not about to change it."
Attention now turns to Madrid's fixture against Espanyol on Sunday. Ceballos has not featured for the club since recovering from injury at the beginning of April and was omitted from the squad entirely for the 1–1 draw against Real Betis in their most recent outing.