Federico Valverde has delivered an emotional public apology after reports emerged that he was involved in a heated training-ground dispute with teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni at Real Madrid.
The Uruguayan midfielder broke his silence in a lengthy message released by veteran journalist Fabrizio Romano on social media following numerous claims that tensions inside the Madrid dressing room deteriorated during training this week.
“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry because this situation hurts me; this moment we’re going through is painful,” Valverde wrote as he addressed fans and attempted to calm speculation surrounding the incident.
The midfielder admitted to having issues with a teammate but rejected claims that the scenario escalated into a physical confrontation between the two.
“Yesterday I had an incident with a teammate during a training session. The fatigue from competition and the frustration made everything seem blown out of proportion,” he explained.
According to accounts from Spain, emotions erupted during Wednesday’s training session, followed by another altercation the next day.
The situation allegedly escalated to the point where teammates and staff had to intervene.
According to reports, Valverde later sought treatment at a hospital after suffering a gash on his forehead.
When asked about the injury, Valverde stated that it was an accident and not the fault of Tchouaméni.
“During the argument, I accidentally hit a table, causing a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital. At no point did my teammate hit me; I didn’t hit him either,” he stated.
The 27-year-old also indicated that frustration with Real Madrid’s dismal season contributed significantly to the squad’s emotional breakdown.
“Clearly, someone here is spreading rumors, and with a season without titles, where Real Madrid is always under scrutiny, everything gets blown out of proportion,” he wrote.
“I feel that my anger about the situation, frustration at seeing some of us struggling to get through the end of the season, giving it our all, pushed me to the point of arguing with a teammate.”
The dispute comes during a challenging period for the Spanish giants, after their withdrawal from the UEFA Champions League and troubles in the La Liga title fight.
Valverde said the difficult season had deeply affected him emotionally.
“We’ve wasted another year, and I wasn’t in a position to be posting on social media when the only face I had to show was on the field,” he said.
“I’m the one who’s most saddened and pained to be going through this situation that prevents me from playing the next match due to medical decisions.”
Real Madrid announced on Friday they had fined Tchouameni and Valverde 500,000 euros ($588,000) each after a training ground clash that left the latter needing hospital treatment.
The club did not impose any sports sanctions on the two players, instead stating in a statement that the fine “thereby concludes the internal procedures” initiated against them.
Valverde will miss Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona as a result of the head injury he suffered during the altercation. The club stated that he would be out for up to two weeks.
Tchouameni participated in training on Friday and could play at Camp Nou this weekend.
Madrid said both players “expressed their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to each other” while taking part in a club investigation.
“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,” read a club statement.
