Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has passionately defended Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni following their altercation during training. He condemned the “lies” regarding his players’ professionalism and labeled leaks from the dressing room as a “betrayal.” The club recently announced that both players have been fined €500,000 after Valverde sustained a head injury requiring hospital treatment during the incident at Valdebebas, part of a troubling streak of internal issues.
Tchouaméni has rejoined training, and Arbeloa confirmed he will be ready for the upcoming Clásico against Barcelona, where the league leaders could secure the championship title. Arbeloa stated at a press conference, “Both players have expressed remorse, acknowledged their mistakes, accepted the consequences, and apologized. That’s sufficient for me; I refuse to sacrifice my players. Neither of them deserves that.”
The confrontation between Tchouaméni and Valverde first took place during Wednesday’s training, escalating to a serious altercation on Thursday, with sources revealing several reckless challenges preceding a heated exchange in the locker room. Both players have rejected rumors that Tchouaméni punched Valverde, asserting that Valverde simply fell and injured himself, necessitating stitches afterward.
During the press briefing, Arbeloa appeared visibly emotional as he addressed what he referred to as “falsehoods” regarding his management style. Reports from ESPN suggest that Arbeloa has encountered disagreements with several players, including Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, and Raúl Asencio, alongside a report of a verbal clash involving Kylian Mbappé and a coaching staff member.
“So many falsehoods are being circulated,” Arbeloa declared. “It is not true that my players lack professionalism or have disrespected me. The idea that players don’t participate because of issues with me or that their lifestyles are beneath Real Madrid’s standards is completely untrue.” ESPN has also reported a heated exchange between Antonio Rüdiger and Álvaro Carreras, with Carreras later clarifying on Instagram that it was a resolved one-time issue.
“What pains me the most is that events within the Real Madrid locker room ought to remain private,” Arbeloa remarked, choosing not to speculate on the leaks’ origin. “If private matters are exposed, it betrays Real Madrid and the integrity of this badge.” He added, “I’m not here to assign blame to anyone. There are many individuals around the first team, and I aim to lead by example. The confidentiality of my dialogues with players will always be respected.”
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Arbeloa also minimized the severity of the training ground incident, referencing a past event during his time as a Liverpool player, when teammate Craig Bellamy confessed to hitting John Arne Riise with a golf club. “I’ve seen even worse scenarios,” he said. “While such situations shouldn’t happen among teammates, they have occurred throughout history. I’m not making excuses, but I consider this misfortune rather than misbehavior. We need to move forward.” Arbeloa confirmed that Tchouaméni would be part of the squad for the match against Barcelona and refrained from commenting on Valverde’s role as one of the team captains. “I’m very satisfied with the efforts of my four team captains,” he concluded.