8 May 2026 07:52 BST |
5 min read
Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde has released an official statement following the alleged training ground bust-up with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni that required him to receive hospital treatment.
Valverde left the club’s training centre in a wheelchair and was subsequently diagnosed with a ‘traumatic brain injury’.
The incident is a new low in a season that has been littered with discontent behind the scenes at the Bernabeu and arrives just days before El Clasico – a match in which Los Blancos could painfully see the league title claimed by Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Valverde’s statement on Tchouameni incident in full
Valverde has explained the incident, claimed there were no punches thrown and has apologised to Real Madrid fans.
“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,” he wrote on his social channels.
“In a normal locker room, these things can happen and are usually resolved internally without it becoming all public.
“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 team-mate hit me, I didn’t hit him either.
“I feel that my anger about the situation, frustration at seeing some of us struggling to get through end of 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 accumulation of things that culminate in a senseless fight, damaging my image and leaving room for doubt that they will add fuel to the fire of an accident.
“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 team-mates to collaborate on any decision they deem necessary. Thank you.”
Sweeping changes to come at Real Madrid
Regardless of Valverde’s protestations of innocence, his injury will hang over Real Madrid ahead of a crucial few weeks and will likely serve as a motif to what has been an explosive season for all the wrong reasons.
Dramatic changes are expected at the Bernabeu over the summer, with head coach Alvaro Arbeloa all but certain to leave after losing control of the dressing room.
Various credible sources in Spain report that Jose Mourinho is favourite to return to Real Madrid to become their next head coach, with the hope that his strong man management can install some discipline in a squad that appears to have spent much of the season out of control.
Significant changes in the playing staff may also be required to restore harmony, with superstar Kylian Mbappe among those that the squad sees most frustrated by.
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