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Real Madrid punish Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni with 500,000 Euro fine each after training-ground fight
Real Madrid said both Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni had appeared before the investigator assigned to the case and accepted the sanctions.
Real Madrid have reportedly taken strict disciplinary action against midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni following a heated training-ground altercation that left the Uruguayan with a head injury. The incident has created unwanted turbulence inside the camp just ahead of the high-voltage El Clasico clash, with reports of the fight spreading rapidly across Spanish media. According to reports, both players have been fined 500,000 Euros each by the club. The altercation allegedly took place during a training session at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas base on Thursday. Club sources claimed Valverde suffered a cut to his head during the confrontation and was taken to the hospital for treatment before later being discharged.
The club said both players had appeared before the investigator assigned to the case and accepted responsibility.
"During their appearance, the players expressed their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to each other. Furthermore, they extended their apologies to the club, their teammates, the coaching staff, and the fans, and both have made themselves available to Real Madrid to accept whatever sanction the club deems appropriate," Real said in a statement.
"Under these circumstances, Real Madrid has decided to impose a financial penalty of five hundred thousand euros on each player, thereby concluding the corresponding internal procedures."
Real Madrid confirmed on Thursday that Valverde suffered head trauma and is expected to remain out of action for around 10 to 14 days as he recovers. The club also stated that the midfielder had returned home and was doing well following the incident. Reports added that the confrontation came just a day after tensions had already flared between Valverde and Tchouameni during an earlier exchange.
Valverde claims no physical fight
Meanwhile, Valverde posted a statement on social media on Thursday apologising to the club and supporters, but denied that things had got out of hand with a teammate and said that during "an argument" he had "accidentally knocked over a table".
The gravity of the episode prompted an emergency meeting attended by senior club officials, with no players leaving the training ground for over an hour as Real sought to contain an escalation of tensions that has left nerves frayed and the squad divided.
The unrest followed another reported flashpoint involving defender Alvaro Carreras earlier this week, adding to the strain on the squad.
