On Thursday, Real Madrid teammates Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde came to blows during the club’s training sessions, which has resulted in the Uruguayan star being diagnosed with a “head trauma”. The pair have now made internal disciplinary proceedings opened against them, and for the time being, neither is expected to play for Los Blancos – including during this weekend’s El Clasico clash against Barcelona.
The matter has caused a seismic shock among the Real Madrid fanbase, and midfielder Valverde has now attempted to downplay the incident. Hours after it came to light, he released a statement on social media (via Marca) to clarify some details, which included statement that the fall that led to his hospitalisation for a head injury was not directly caused by Tchouameni.
Valverde statement in full
“Yesterday I had an incident with a teammate during a training session. The fatigue from competition and the frustration made everything seem blown out of proportion. In a normal locker room, these things can happen and are usually resolved internally without it becoming public knowledge. Clearly, someone here is spreading rumours, and with a season without titles, where Real Madrid is always under scrutiny, everything gets blown out of proportion.
“Today we had another disagreement. During the argument, I accidentally hit a table, causing a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital. At no point did my teammate hit me, and I didn’t hit him either, although I understand it’s easier for you to believe we came to blows or that it was intentional, but that didn’t happen.
“I feel that my anger about the situation, my frustration at seeing some of us struggling to get through the end of the season, giving it our all, pushed me to the point of arguing with a teammate. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry because this situation hurts me, this moment we’re going through is painful. Real Madrid is one of the most important things in my life, and I can’t be indifferent to it. The result is an accumulation of things that culminate in a senseless fight, damaging my image and leaving room for doubt that they’ll fabricate stories, slander, and add fuel to the fire of an accident.
“I have no doubt that any disagreements we might have off the field cease to exist on it, and if I have to defend it inside a stadium, I’ll be the first. I wasn’t going to speak out until the end of the season. We were eliminated from the Champions League, and I kept my anger and resentment to myself. We’ve wasted another year, and I wasn’t in a position to be posting on social media when the only face I had to show was on the field, and I feel that’s what I did. That’s why I’m the one who’s most saddened and pained to be going through this situation that prevents me from playing the next match due to medical decisions.
“I always gave it my all, to the very end, and it hurts me more than anyone not to be able to do so. I am available to the club and my teammates to collaborate on any decision they deem necessary. Thank you.”
Where do we go from here?
While Real Madrid conduct their internal investigation, Valverde – who cannot play anyway due to concussion protocols – and Tchouameni will not be made available to head coach Alvaro Arbeloa for selection. Although the former has tried to play down the matter with this statement, it is clearly being treated with the upmost seriousness from the higher-ups at the Bernabeu.
