Following a major locker-room altercation at Real Madrid, midfielders Federico Valverde (27) and Aurélien Tchouaméni (26) have each been fined €500,000. The club announced on Friday that both players expressed deep regret over the incident and apologized not only to each other but also to the coaching staff and teammates.
The serious confrontation erupted on Thursday in the dressing room, forcing several team members to intervene. Spanish newspaper *Marca* reported that Valverde suffered a cut on his head and was taken to hospital. The day before, a verbal dispute and shoving match had already occurred during training. Real Madrid confirmed that Valverde will miss 10 to 14 days due to his head injury, ruling him out of the decisive Clásico against FC Barcelona, which could decide the league title.
Despite the uproar, head coach Álvaro Arbeloa has refused to impose further sanctions on the duo. “What I will not do is burn them at the stake in the town square—they do not deserve that. It’s time to turn the page,” Arbeloa said on the eve of the Clásico. He described the fight as “pointless” and added, “My players have recognized their mistake, expressed remorse, and asked for forgiveness.”
Valverde took to Instagram to explain that the argument led to him accidentally hitting a table, insisting that he was neither struck nor struck anyone. He attributed the tension to frustration over the team’s disappointing season, adding that such incidents can happen in a locker room and are usually resolved internally, but the matter was blown out of proportion in public.
Amid a second trophyless season—no league title, cup, or Champions League victory—several sources of tension have been reported at Real Madrid. Star player Kylian Mbappé, currently injured, has also sparked controversy. His brief holiday to Sardinia with actress Ester Expósito during his rehab angered fans. Relations between Mbappé and other French players like Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Ferland Mendy, and parts of the squad, are reportedly strained. Media outlets noted that striker Vinícius Júnior only shines when Mbappé is absent. More recently, a confrontation between Antonio Rüdiger and Álvaro Carreras caused a stir, though it appears to have been resolved.
