The disciplinary measures for Federico Valverde (28) and Aurélien Tchouaméni (26, both of Real Madrid), who fought in the locker room, have been finalized.
Real Madrid announced on its website on the 9th (KST), "We inform you that the two players appeared before the investigation officer today regarding the incident that led to the initiation of disciplinary procedures against Valverde and Tchouaméni yesterday. During the investigation, both expressed full remorse for what happened and apologized to each other," the club said in an official statement.
Real Madrid added, "The two players apologized to the club, their teammates, the coaching staff and the fans, and stated that they will accept the discipline the club deems appropriate. Real Madrid has decided, considering these circumstances, to impose fines of 500,000 euros (about 86.3 million won) on each of the two players. With this, the related internal procedures have been concluded," the club explained.
The Real Madrid locker room is under scrutiny after a recent shocking internal clash. With two consecutive seasons without trophies now virtually certain, the incident escalated from an argument to a physical fight between key players Valverde and Tchouaméni. According to Spain's AS, Tchouaméni threw a punch that struck Valverde, and during the fall Valverde struck his head on a table and momentarily lost consciousness.
According to local reports, the conflict began during training on the 6th local time. During training, Tchouaméni unintentionally made a dangerous tackle toward Valverde. Tchouaméni apologized, but Valverde, with the World Cup approaching, could not let it pass easily. For this reason, the two continued their argument in the locker room after training ended.
The conflict escalated further. The next day at training, Valverde refused Tchouaméni's handshake. Moreover, he attempted a rough tackle as if to return the same treatment to Tchouaméni. Coach Álvaro Arbeloa hoped placing them on the same team would lead to reconciliation, but it instead fueled the argument between Valverde and Tchouaméni.
After training ended, the incident erupted. Valverde accused Tchouaméni of leaking information and tried to continue the argument in the locker room. According to Spain's AS, Tchouaméni, who tried to continue the conversation, also exploded and threw a punch, and teammates had to rush in to separate them. During the fall Valverde struck his head on a table and lost consciousness; he was transported to the hospital in a wheelchair and underwent suturing surgery.
Medical examinations diagnosed Valverde with traumatic brain injury. Real Madrid said, "Valverde is currently resting in stable condition at home and, according to medical protocol for this diagnosis, must rest for 10 to 14 days," and announced, "We have decided to initiate disciplinary procedures against Valverde and Tchouaméni."
As the fallout grew, Valverde, who faced the most criticism, spoke first. On the 8th 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 that we fought or that it was intentional, but that did not happen," denying there was a fistfight.
Valverde also said, "Anger about the situation and frustration and anger at seeing some players at the end of the season holding on with all their strength eventually pushed me into an argument with a teammate," and added, "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. This situation torments me, and this moment we are experiencing is painful."
He nevertheless could not hide his anger. Valverde said, "These things can happen in a normal locker room, but they are usually resolved internally without being made public," and argued, "Clearly someone is spreading rumors here. We are having a trophyless season, and Real Madrid is always a team under intense scrutiny, so everything is being exaggerated."
After the discipline was finalized, Tchouaméni also posted an apology. He said, "What happened at training this week was unacceptable. Whether on the football field or at school, thinking about the example we should set for younger generations makes it even more so. Regardless of who was right or wrong, we should always seek the calmest way to resolve conflicts," he said.
Tchouaméni added, "Above all, I apologize for damaging the club's image. There are many sensational stories fabricated online for attention. Please do not believe all the rumors and false information that circulate. Now is not the time to argue over who did what, who said what, or who was right or wrong," he added.
Finally he said, "I acknowledge and accept the club's discipline. I have apologized to my teammates, and I want to apologize to all Real Madrid fans. Now it is time to move forward. Our focus is on El Clásico and next season. We want to bring the club back to where it belongs," he emphasized.<
[Photo] 365 Scores (Generative AI), Sky Sports, Real Madrid, Tchouaméni social media.
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