Real Madrid Faces Risk of Trophy-Less 2025 Season

Real Madrid, one of the most successful football clubs in the world, is facing the possibility of ending the current 2025 season without winning any major trophy. This situation, although surprising to many fans, has some clear warning signs visible in the team's recent performances and management decisions. Understanding why this risk looms and what it means for the club gives us a balanced view beyond just reporting the facts.

Real Madrid finished the previous 2024-25 season without winning La Liga, Copa del Rey, or the Champions League— Spain's top trophies. This marked the ninth time under the club president Florentino Pérez that Real Madrid ended a season trophyless, despite the club's historical success. Even though Real Madrid earned some minor titles like the European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup earlier in 2024, the big trophies eluded them in the main season, which disappointed fans and experts alike.

Early signs in the current season show some optimistic results— Madrid leads La Liga with four straight wins. However, these results have hidden some fragile processes such as a fragile defense especially on the right side, heavy reliance on penalty goals, and a lack of creativity during open play. The manager, Xabi Alonso, faces challenges dealing with injuries and a thin squad depth, especially in defensive positions.

Several factors contribute to the risks Real Madrid faces this season:

Injuries and Squad Depth: Key players like Trent Alexander-Arnold have suffered injuries early in the season, which exposes the lack of capable replacements. The departure of Lucas Vázquez has worsened defensive options, forcing tactical compromises that impact team stability.
Over-Reliance on Star Players: Kylian Mbappé has been the main goal scorer and the team's crisis resolver, but his goals often come from penalties rather than from open-play setups. This reflects a broader problem of dependence on fewer individuals rather than a collective team effort.
Management Focus and Investment: President Florentino Pérez has been heavily focused on off-field projects like stadium renovations and mega signings, possibly at the expense of investing sufficiently to strengthen the squad depth that coaches urgently need on the pitch.

Ending a season without a major trophy is never the desired outcome for Real Madrid, given its rich history and record 14 Champions League titles among other achievements. The risk of another trophy-less season sends a strong signal that certain problems inside the club must be addressed. Unlike in previous times when Real Madrid managed to quickly bounce back from off-seasons without trophies, the current situation appears more worrying because it combines tactical problems with longer-term management and investment decisions.

Trophy droughts in football giants such as Real Madrid are not unheard of and can sometimes serve as a wake-up call for change. Long-term sustainability in elite football requires balancing star power with solid team structure, continuous squad refreshment, and smart management decisions. Real Madrid's dominance in the past decades came through not only signing superstars but also maintaining balance and depth throughout the squad.

Fans, experts, and insiders are watching closely to see how Alonso handles the defensive frailties and spurs creative playmaking beyond just set pieces. How quickly injured players recover and how well the club adapts tactically will play a big role. There is still quality available in the squad, but the challenges this season are testing the club's ability to respond under pressure.

Real Madrid faces a real risk of another season without major trophies due to a combination of squad depth issues, injury problems, tactical fragility, and possibly misplaced management priorities. While early results in La Liga are positive, underlying problems have been identified that could affect their chances in Spain and Europe. The current season is a critical period for the club as it requires both short-term fixes and long-term strategic planning to recapture its winning ways. Whether Real Madrid can reverse the signs and avoid repeating a trophy-less year remains to be seen, but the warning signals make this a season of importance and scrutiny for the European giants.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies