Shortly before the Clásico in Barcelona, there is a row at Real Madrid: after a dressing room argument between Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, the Uruguayan relativizes media reports. Both face severe punishment.
08.05.2026, 13:45
dpa
Following media reports of a violent altercation in the Real Madrid dressing room, Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde has emphasized that team-mate Aurélien Tchouaméni did not hit him and that he did not hit him either.
"During the argument, I accidentally bumped my forehead against a table and suffered a small cut that required a routine visit to hospital," he wrote on Instagram on Thursday evening. Tchouaméni did not initially comment on the feud.
Valverde expressed his regret over the incident. "I am sorry. I'm really sorry because the situation hurts me, the moment we're going through hurts me," he added, lamenting that someone had immediately leaked the incident to the media. "In a normal dressing room, things like this happen and are dealt with internally without going public. Obviously there was someone behind it who quickly spread the story," complained Valverde.
Crisis at the Whites due to sporting failures
Spanish sports media had previously reported a bleeding laceration to the head, which had to be stitched up by sports doctors on the spot. Real Madrid announced on the X platform that the 27-year-old had suffered a traumatic brain injury and would have to recover for 10 to 14 days. His condition is stable.
Internally, several of the team's players described the incident as the most serious ever at the Valdebebas training ground, wrote the Spanish sports newspaper "Marca".
Valverde had refused to shake Tchouaméni's hand in the morning. This led to a very hostile training session, which culminated in a heated argument in the dressing room. In the ensuing altercation between the two, the Uruguayan suffered a laceration on the edge of a table, unintentionally and not caused by a blow from Tchouaméni. The two are said to have clashed in training on Wednesday.
Real initiate disciplinary proceedings against the two players
The club confirmed that disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against both players. According to "AS", they could be suspended ahead of the Clásico against first-placed FC Barcelona on Sunday (9pm on blue Sport). The Catalans could win the championship again early in the game. Real, on the other hand, will remain without a title and the situation at the record champions is considered to be extremely tense.
