Full detail: Real Madrid’s Tchouaméni, Valverde bust-up in training as hospital visit follows dressing room fight
Abdullateef Fowewe
A simmering feud between Real Madrid midfielders Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde boiled over into a physical altercation in the dressing room, leaving the Uruguayan international briefly unconscious and hospitalised after hitting his head on a table.
The incident unfolded over two days of training at Valdebebas, sources close to the club told The Athletic.
It began Wednesday morning when Tchouaméni objected to a robust tackle from Valverde during a session.
Tensions carried into the dressing room post-training, where teammates intervened to calm the situation.
On Thursday, Valverde reportedly shook hands with everyone except Tchouaméni upon arriving at the training ground.
During the day’s drills, he delivered several hard challenges to his teammate, who chose not to retaliate.
Coaching staff then divided players into teams but deliberately paired Valverde and Tchouaméni together.
Valverde allegedly made a provocative remark, implying Tchouaméni was “lucky” to be on his side.
The flashpoint came after the session in the dressing room.
Tchouaméni summoned Valverde over, leading to an insult from the 27-year-old.
Tchouaméni responded by striking him, sparking a tussle.
Valverde struck his head on a table, briefly losing consciousness and suffering a bleed.
Concern rippled through the room, including from Tchouaméni, as medical staff attended.
Valverde regained consciousness and was rushed to the hospital for checks.
The clash hits Real Madrid at a vulnerable time, just days before El Clásico against Barcelona amid a testing season marked by inconsistent results.
Valverde is now sidelined with his head injury, and both players face potential internal disciplinary action from the club, raising fresh questions about team unity.
