Bloody fight sends captain to hospital
Chaos at the “Galactic”
Updated May 8, 2026 – 7:41 amReading time: 2 minutes
Shortly before the Clásico against Barcelona, two Real professionals clashed during training – one even ended up in the hospital.
A training dispute at Real Madrid sent captain Federico Valverde to hospital. According to the Spanish sports newspaper “Marca”, Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni clashed on Thursday; Valverde suffered a laceration. So the house blessing seems to be going awry for the “Galactic”.
Valverde required several stitches in the hospital. Real announced on Thursday evening that the Uruguayan had been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and that the team captain was “at home and in good condition. He must rest for ten to 14 days in accordance with the medical protocols for this diagnosis,” the statement said. This means Valverde will definitely miss the Clasico.
Valverde and Tchouaméni are said to have had their first argument during training on Wednesday. Real announced disciplinary proceedings against the two disputers. Valverde later spoke on Instagram about an incident, but tried to mediate. “At no point did my teammate hit me, and I didn’t hit him either,” he assured.
The trigger is said to have been that Valverde refused to shake Tchouaméni’s hand at the beginning of the session. The mood was high during training. According to the report, Valverde suffered a bruise and laceration in the dressing room – not from a punch from his teammate, but unintentionally. Several teammates had to leave.
There is said to have been a crisis meeting afterwards. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against both professionals, reported “Marca”.
The incident hits Real Madrid in an already difficult phase. The club is 11 points behind Barcelona in the Spanish league with four rounds to go. At the Clásico on Sunday at the Camp Nou, one point is enough for FC Barcelona to secure the championship early – for Real it would be the second titleless season in a row.
There is also unrest away from the training ground. Superstar Kylian Mbappé recently caused upset after he took a short vacation to Sardinia during his rehab. His appearance against Barcelona is questionable due to an injury. According to Spanish media, the relationship between Mbappé and other French squad players and parts of the team is considered strained.