Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has spoken publicly about reports of an altercation with a teammate on the training pitch Federico Valverdeinsisting that claims he punched the Uruguayan were untrue.
The France international has spoken for the first time about the incident which allegedly took place at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex, where speculation suggested a clash between the two midfielders resulted in Valverde receiving medical attention.
Speaking to Spanish media, Tchouameni acknowledged that the incident had taken place, but dismissed several stories that emerged after it.
Tchouameni rejects claims of kickbacks
“Obviously things happened, you could see and hear it in the media,” Tchouameni said, as quoted by Diario AS.
“It was overblown because it was in the news and when you play for Real Madrid it creates a big reaction. A lot of nonsense was said in the press. I read that there was a fight and I hit him… which was not the case. I won’t go into more details.”
Reports claimed that Valverde was taken to hospital for stitches following the incident, while both players were reportedly fined by the club.
However, Tchouameni emphasized that the situation has been resolved internally and that there is no tension between them.
The midfielder insists the relationship remains strong
“The most important thing is that the club was aware of what happened,” he added.
“There are many things that happen in the dressing room that don’t make it into the press. Life goes on. Fede and I have a common goal: to win titles with Real Madrid.”
“No problem. And if I face him at the World Cup, we will be eager to win with the French national team. On a personal level, there is no problem with Valverde at the moment.”
Valverde previously described the episode as a learning experience, without going into specifics.
The controversy attracted considerable attention in Spain, although Real Madrid officials considered the alleged leak of the incident to be a bigger problem than the clash itself.
Club president Florentino Perez has previously suggested that dressing room disagreements are not uncommon, while highlighting concerns about how the details were leaked to the public.
