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How did the Western Schism create rival popes in the late 14th century?

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Cardinals of the Catholic Church, dressed in red, sit at long tables in the Sistine Chapel during the 2005 papal election conclave, surrounded by ornate frescoed walls. — papal conclave Cardinals assembled inside the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace for a conclave to elect a new pope; Vatican City, 2005.

The Western Schism began in 1378 following the election of Urban VI as pope. While his election initially satisfied Roman demands for an Italian leader, Urban VI soon alienated the Sacred College of Cardinals through his hostile and reformist behavior.12

A group of cardinals subsequently retired to Anagni, where they declared Urban VI’s election invalid, claiming it had been coerced by the Roman populace under fear. In September 1378, these cardinals elected the French cardinal Robert of Geneva as Clement VII, who established his own papal residence in Avignon.123

This double election created a deep division within the Roman Catholic Church, with European nations aligning themselves with either the Roman or Avignon claimant based largely on political interests. The resulting conflict, which later expanded to include a third claimant following the Council of Pisa, persisted until the Council of Constance effectively ended the schism in 1417.1234