The drama between Real Madrid teammates Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde has taken another twist.
Real Madrid released a statement on Thursday evening confirming they have opened disciplinary action against both midfielders following the training ground incident that left Valverde with a head injury.
The Spanish giants said: "Real Madrid CF announces that, following the events that took place this morning in the first team training session, it has decided to open disciplinary proceedings against our players Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. The club will announce the resolutions of both cases in due course, once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed."
In a separate statement, Real Madrid revealed Valverde has been “diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury” following the altercation with Tchouameni. However, they added Valverde is “at home in good condition” and “must remain at rest between 10 and 14 days” as he recovers.
The diagnosis means Valverde, one of Real Madrid’s standout performers in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Los Blancos, will miss Sunday’s crucial El Clasico against Barcelona away at Camp Nou.
Barcelona will secure the 2025-26 La Liga title with a win or draw this weekend.
Federico Valverde Released Statement
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| Federico Valverde |
The injured Valverde released a statement via social media, insisting his bust-up with Tchouameni was a “disagreement” rather than a “fight”.
The Uruguay international, who is considered one of the world’s best midfielders, added: “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.”
'Leaked' DMs From Tchouameni Released
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| Aurelien Tchouameni |
Over on X (Twitter), the account @AQABABE has posted screenshots claiming to be from a conversation with Tchouameni.
The France international allegedly said: "Something happened but I can't say anything,” before adding, "I told you nothing happened yesterday in the sense that there was no fight."
Tchouameni then allegedly said: "I didn't punch him, it’s not true, that’s all I can tell you." He added: "His head hit the ground."
@AQABABE then released a screen recording in an attempt to convince doubters that the DMs legitimately came from Tchouameni’s official Instagram account.
If the DMs are legit then it confirms that both Valverde and Tchouameni agree no punches were thrown during the bust-up, despite reports to the contrary.
- Rob Swan
