It is an almost unbelievable internal split. The condition of Federico Valverde (28, Real Madrid), who got into a scuffle with Aurélien Tchouaméni (26), has been disclosed.
Real Madrid said on the 8th (Korea time) "After the club medical staff conducted an examination today, Valverde was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. He is currently resting in stable condition at home, and according to the medical protocol for that diagnosis, he must rest for 10 to 14 days," the club announced.
At the same time, disciplinary procedures will be pursued. Real Madrid said in a statement, "We inform you that we have decided to initiate disciplinary procedures against our players Valverde and Tchouaméni regarding the incident that occurred during first-team training this morning. The club will announce the disciplinary results of the two matters once the internal procedures are complete."
This was not a simple training ground disagreement but an internal clash that escalated to an actual fight. According to Spain's AS, Tchouaméni threw a punch that struck Valverde, and as Valverde fell he hit his head on a table and momentarily lost consciousness. As a result, Valverde was transported to the hospital in a wheelchair, received suturing surgery, and is reported to have lost some memory.
According to local reports, their conflict began with training on the 6th local time. During training, Tchouaméni accidentally made a dangerous tackle toward Valverde. Tchouaméni apologized, but Valverde, with the World Cup approaching, could not let it pass easily. Because of this, the two players continued arguing in the locker room after training ended.
The conflict grew. The next day at training, Valverde refused Tchouaméni's handshake. Moreover, he attempted a rough tackle as if trying to retaliate in kind. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa placed them on the same team hoping they would reconcile, but it only fueled the argument between Valverde and Tchouaméni.
Eventually an incident erupted after training. Valverde accused Tchouaméni of leaking the locker room confrontation and tried to continue the argument in the locker room. Tchouaméni, who tried to talk it out, also exploded and threw a punch, and teammates had to rush in to separate them.
The Real Madrid locker room is sliding into chaos. Coach Xabi Alonso, appointed before the start of the season, was dismissed amid conflicts with the squad, and in February Antonio Rüdiger reportedly hit Álvaro Carreras in the dining hall. Coupled with poor results that have all but confirmed two successive trophyless seasons, the club is enduring one of its worst seasons ever.
Valverde, who accentuated the situation, admitted the clash but denied there was a fistfight. He said on social media, "At no moment did a teammate hit me. I did not hit him either. I understand that it may be easier for people to believe we fought or that it was intentional, but that did not happen."
Valverde also said, "The anger about the situation and the frustration and rage I felt seeing some players giving everything to hold on at the end of the season ultimately pushed me into an argument with a teammate," and added, "I am sorry. I am really sorry. This situation is tormenting me, and this moment we are going through is painful."
Still, he could not hide his anger. Valverde said, "These kinds of things can happen in a normal locker room, but they are usually resolved internally without becoming known outside," and defended himself, "Clearly someone is spreading rumors from here. We are having a winless season, and Real Madrid is always a team under intense scrutiny, so everything is being exaggerated."
As a result, it is clear that Real Madrid's internal atmosphere has collapsed ahead of the El Clásico against Barcelona on the 11th. Valverde will also be unavailable. It is an important match in which, if they lose, Barcelona could be confirmed as La Liga champions for the first time in history, but Real Madrid is groaning from internal division.
[Photo] Real Madrid, Sky Sports.
[OSEN]