Real Madrid News
Real Madrid’s four captains for next season following Dani Carvajal departure
Real Madrid are preparing for a major leadership transition ahead of next season following the confirmed departure of club legend Dani Carvajal.
The veteran defender’s exit will not only leave an emotional void inside the dressing room but also force the club to restructure its captaincy hierarchy for the beginning of a new era under incoming manager Jose Mourinho.
According to reports from MARCA, if Real Madrid continue following the traditional seniority-based system for selecting captains, Federico Valverde would become the first captain next season.
Behind him in the hierarchy would reportedly be Vinicius Jr., followed by Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin.
The possibility of Valverde becoming captain is especially striking considering the difficult and controversial season the Uruguayan has experienced behind the scenes at the club.
A difficult season
Only months ago, Valverde appeared untouchable at Real Madrid. The midfielder was widely viewed as one of the leaders of the dressing room, but recent events have complicated that image significantly.
The Uruguayan became one of the central figures in the season’s biggest dressing room controversy following his altercation with Aurelien Tchouameni.
Reports surrounding the incident created enormous tension, especially after the confrontation escalated physically and forced Real Madrid’s hierarchy to intervene.
On top of that, there were also reported disagreements between Valverde and former manager Xabi Alonso regarding the playing position earlier in the season.
Despite all of this, the club’s traditional seniority system would still place Valverde first in line for the captain’s armband once Carvajal officially departs.
Mourinho’s influence could change the picture
Even though the seniority rule traditionally determines Real Madrid’s captaincy structure, Mourinho’s arrival could still change everything.
The Portuguese manager has never been the type to blindly follow dressing room politics if he believes stronger leadership decisions are needed for the team’s benefit.
That is what makes this situation particularly interesting.
Mourinho is arriving with the intention of rebuilding authority, discipline and competitive mentality inside the squad after a season where several internal situations spiralled out of control publicly.
For now, Real Madrid’s traditional structure places Valverde at the top of the hierarchy, but with Mourinho arriving, nothing about the leadership dynamic feels fully guaranteed anymore.
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
🆚 @ElcheCF
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