Real Madrid have fined Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni €500,000 each following their dressing room bust-up post training earlier this week, as the club moved swiftly to contain growing tensions inside the squad.
The Spanish giants confirmed the disciplinary action in an official statement issued after both players appeared before the club's investigating officer.
“Real Madrid C.F. announces that, following the events that led to the opening of disciplinary proceedings yesterday against our players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, both appeared today before the investigating officer.
“During their appearance, the players expressed their sincere regret for what happened and apologized to each other.
“They also conveyed their apologies to the club, their teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans, and both offered their full cooperation to Real Madrid, ready to accept whatever sanction the club deems appropriate.
“In light of these circumstances, Real Madrid has decided to impose a fine of five hundred thousand euros on each player, thus concluding the corresponding internal procedures”.
The incident reportedly began during training on May 6, when a heavy tackle sparked a furious exchange between the two midfielders. Team-mates initially intervened before the confrontation carried into the dressing room.
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Tensions escalated further the following day after Valverde allegedly accused Tchouaméni of leaking details of the previous altercation to the media. Reports claimed Valverde refused to shake hands with the French midfielder before training, with insults continuing throughout the session.
The situation later turned physical inside the dressing room. According to reports, Tchouaméni allegedly threw a punch during the confrontation, causing Valverde to lose balance and strike his head against a table.
The Uruguayan midfielder reportedly required stitches and precautionary hospital checks after suffering what the club later described as “cranioencephalic trauma”, ruling him out of the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona.
Valverde later attempted to defuse the situation through a social media statement, insisting that neither player intentionally struck the other and attributing the incident to the frustrations of a difficult campaign.
The bust-up comes amid one of Real Madrid's most turbulent seasons in recent years. Los Blancos are second in La Liga, trailing Barcelona by 11 points, while their Champions League campaign ended in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich. They also failed to win either the Supercopa de España or the Copa del Rey.
Managerial instability has further complicated matters, with Xabi Alonso replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa midway through the season. Reports of growing dressing room divisions have also emerged in recent weeks, underlining the mounting pressure surrounding the club as it approaches the end of a trophyless campaign.
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