Valverde denies fist fight with Tchouameni in Real Madrid’s scandal: ‘I accidentally hit a table’

The mood in the dressing room has not been good after a season without trophies. That led to a confrontation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, leaving the Uruguayan out of Real Madrid’s squad for Sunday’s match against Barcelona.

Valverde was taken to the hospital to get stitches after the incident. Tensions had already surfaced the day before, but things got worse on Thursday. There was no longer any point in trying to hide what had happened.

In a long post on his Instagram account, Valverde wrote: “During the argument, I accidentally hit a table and cut my forehead a little, which required a routine trip to the hospital. At no point did my teammate hit me, and I did not hit him either. I understand it may be easier for you to believe that we got into a fight or that it was intentional, but that did not happen.”

The repercussions of the incident

The issue between teammates was serious enough that the club had to speak publicly. They did so with a statement: “Real Madrid C. F. announces that, following the incidents that occurred this morning during the first team’s training session, it has decided to open disciplinary proceedings against our players Valverde and Tchouameni.”

Acknowledging that they were going to investigate the matter was one step, but they also released the medical report that ruled Valverde out of El Clasico.

The statement said: “After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma. Valverde is at home in good condition and will need to rest for 10 to 14 days, as indicated by medical protocols for this diagnosis.”

Full message from Federico Valverde on his Instagram

Yesterday I had an incident with a teammate during a training-ground play, where the wear and tear of competition and the frustration make everything feel bigger.

In a normal locker room, these things can happen and are settled between us without it coming to light. Clearly, there is someone behind this who is quick to spread the story, added to a season without titles where Madrid is always the target and everything gets magnified.

Today we had another disagreement. During the argument, I accidentally hit a table and cut my forehead a little, which required a routine trip to the hospital.

At no point did my teammate hit me, and I did not hit him either, although I understand it may be easier for you to believe that we got into a fight or that it was intentional, but that did not happen.

I feel that my anger with the situation, my frustration at seeing that some of us are reaching the final stretch of the season with our last bit of strength, giving everything we have, has taken me to the point of arguing with a teammate.

I am sorry. I am truly sorry because the situation hurts me, and the moment we are going through hurts me. Madrid is one of the most important things in my life and I cannot be indifferent. The result is an accumulation of things that end in a meaningless fight, damaging my image and leaving room for doubt, for inventing, defaming and adding to an accident. I have no doubt that any friction we may have off the pitch stops existing, and if I have to defend him inside a stadium, I will be the first.

I was not going to speak until the end of the season. We were eliminated from the Champions League and I kept the anger and resentment to myself. We wasted another year and I was not in the mood to make posts on social media when the only face I had to show was on the field, and I feel I did so. That is why I am perhaps the saddest of all, and it hurts me to go through this situation that prevents me from playing the next match because of medical decisions, since I always went to the end, to the very last consequences, and it hurts me more than anyone not to be able to do so. I am at the club’s and my teammates’ disposal to help with any decision they consider necessary.

Thank you