Real Madrid have officially announced that both Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni have been fined €500,000 each following a physical altercation during a training session at Valdebebas. The decision comes after the club opened a formal disciplinary file on Thursday to investigate the clash, which reportedly left Valverde hospitalized for a brief period.
In an official statement, the club clarified that the internal investigation has reached its conclusion: “…Both players have made themselves available to Real Madrid to accept the sanction that the club deems appropriate. Under these circumstances, Real Madrid have resolved to impose a financial penalty of five hundred thousand euros on each player, thus concluding the corresponding internal procedures”.
The club further noted that the midfielders appeared before the case investigator today to express their deep regret for the incident. The pair issued formal apologies to each other, their teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans, signaling a desire to move past the tension as a critical stretch of the season approaches.
Valverde denies physical altercation with Tchouameni
Following Real Madrid’s confirmation that Federico Valverde will miss El Clásico against Barcelona due to cranioencephalic trauma, the Uruguayan midfielder took to social media to clarify the incident involving his teammate.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid during a game. (Getty Images)
Via his Instagram account, Valverde denied any physical altercation with his teammate, though he did confirm they were involved in a heated argument. “Today we had another disagreement…Tchouameni never hit me, I didn’t hit him either. Still, I reckon it’s easier for many to believe we threw hands at each other, but that didn’t happen,” Valverde wrote.
According to the midfielder’s account, he accidentally struck his forehead against a table during the discussion with the Frenchman, which required him to be hospitalized. The club later announced that Valverde must rest for 10 to 14 days, ruling him out of the match against Barcelona and the subsequent fixture against Real Oviedo.
A turbulent week in Madrid
This incident adds to a week from hell for manager Alvaro Arbeloa. Between the ongoing backlash over Kylian Mbappe’s recent vacation to Italy and this latest physical confrontation, Real Madrid face a massive leadership test.
With a second consecutive season without a major trophy looming, the €500,000 fines represent one of the heaviest financial penalties ever imposed by the club on its own players, underscoring the severity of the breach in discipline.
