Tchouaméni still in Real match selection after fight with Valverde: ‘They are not going to be publicly pilloried’ | Sport

Aurélien Tchouaméni is in the Real Madrid match selection for the away match against FC Barcelona, ​​despite his clash with captain Federico Valverde. This was said by coach Álvaro Arbeloa in the run-up to the Clásico, in which the Catalan club can secure the national title.

Valverde is missing because he had to go to hospital after the altercation with Tchouaméni to be treated for a head wound. He will be out for about two weeks. Real Madrid fined the two 500,000 euros for their behavior.

Arbeloa said at the press conference that he had accepted the apologies of both midfielders. “I am very proud of the club’s decisiveness, speed and transparency, and that the players have acknowledged their mistake, expressed their regret, accepted the consequences of their actions and asked for forgiveness,” said Arbeloa.

“That’s enough for me. I’m not going to publicly shame them, because they don’t deserve that.”

Valverde was taken to hospital on Thursday, according to Spanish media, after a confrontation with Tchouaméni. There, a cut on Valverde’s face had to be stitched. The two midfielders are said to have already had a conflict during training on Wednesday, which continued on Thursday.

On Thursday evening, Valverde responded to the incident via social media. “At no time did my teammate hit me, nor did I hit him,” he wrote. According to the midfielder, he suffered a cut on his forehead by accidentally hitting a table during the argument.

According to Spanish media, Valverde is also said to have made a strong tackle on his teammate several times on the training field. Tchouaméni was also reportedly angry because Valverde leaked about their row to the media.

Tchouaméni made himself heard on Friday evening via Instagram Stories. “I accept and understand the club’s sanction,” the Frenchman wrote. ‘I would like to apologize for the image we have given of the club. What happened this week during training is unacceptable,” he further reported.

‘I know that all the fans, the staff, my teammates, the management and everyone around them are extremely disappointed with how this season has gone. But frustration is no excuse. These incidents can happen in a dressing room, but this does not suit Real Madrid. Especially because this is the most talked about club in the world.’

The brawl is described internally as ‘the most serious ever at Valdebebas’, Real Madrid’s training complex. In any case, chaos abounds at the top club, where several players have a bad relationship with Arbeloa. Six players would even refuse to talk to their coach.

It was previously reported in Spain that Antonio Rüdiger allegedly punched teammate Álvaro Carreras. There is also unrest around star player Kylian Mbappé. More than 30 million fans have already signed a petition for his departure, because he is held responsible for the poor performance and after his holiday with his new girlfriend.

Real Madrid will visit Barça next Sunday at 9 p.m.