The incident took place on Thursday at the club’s Valdebebas training center. The timing is particularly damaging for the squad, occurring just three days before a high-stakes El Clásico against Barcelona.
Real Madrid released an official statement confirming that Valverde sustained a head injury similar to a concussion. Medical staff has ordered a mandatory rest period of 10 to 14 days to ensure a full recovery.
As a result, the Uruguayan midfielder will definitely miss the Barcelona match in Camp Nou on May 10. This is a massive blow for a Real Madrid side currently trailing their rivals by 11 points with only four rounds remaining. A loss this weekend would officially crown Barcelona as La Liga champions.
Reports regarding the brawl have been conflicting. While AS claimed that Tchouameni landed a punch that caused the injury, Mark reported that the trauma was not the result of a direct strike.
Federico Valverde (L) and Aurelien Tchouameni during Real Madrid’s match against Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League play-off round on Feb. 19, 2025. Photo by Reuters |
Valverde later cleared the air via a message on Instagram.
“At no point has my teammate hit me, nor have I hit him, although I understand that for you it may have been easier to believe that we beat each other up or that it was intentional, but that did not happen,” he wrote.
According to Valverde, the injury occurred when he accidentally struck his head on a table during the heat of an argument. He characterized the incident as a small cut on the forehead that required hospital treatment.
Despite his efforts to downplay the incident, the club’s medical team remained cautious. Real Madrid confirmed that the vice-captain is currently stable at home but must remain sidelined for the next two weeks to recover from the concussion symptoms.
The club are reportedly considering internal disciplinary actions against both players. The severity of the situation prompted club president Florentino Perez to hold an emergency meeting with the board of directors, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa and captain Dani Carvajal on the same day.
Valverde admitted that the tense atmosphere at the club led to the incident. He also said that disappointment over the team’s forgettable season made emotions spiral out of control.
“I feel that my anger about the situation, my frustration at seeing that some of us are reaching the end of the season running on our last bit of energy, breaking ourselves mentally, led me to the point of arguing with a teammate.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry because the situation hurts me, the moment we are going through hurts me. Madrid is one of the most important things in my life and I can’t stay indifferent.”
Valverde also confirmed that this was not his first disagreement with Tchouameni this week, mentioning a prior argument on Wednesday. However, he maintained that such friction is a normal part of a professional locker room that usually stays behind closed doors.
He suggested that internal leaks are responsible for the current media storm. He noted that in a season where the team did not win trophies, every minor disagreement was being blown out of proportion by those spreading rumors from within the club.
This latest drama follows a string of internal conflicts. Just days earlier, defender Alvaro Carreras had to publicly deny a rift with Antonio Rudiger. Carreras admitted a specific incident occurred, but insisted it was resolved, BBC reported.
Star forward Kylian Mbappe has also faced significant fan backlash this week after he was spotted in Sardinia, Italy, with his girlfriend during a critical window for the team.
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