Florentino Pérez addresses Valverde, Tchouaméni row

Tensions inside Real Madrid have come under the spotlight after club president Florentino Pérez addressed the training-ground altercation involving midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni. 

Speaking after a board meeting on Tuesday, Perez attempted to downplay the seriousness of the clash while expressing frustration that details of the incident had been leaked to the media.

The Real Madrid president insisted that arguments between players are not uncommon in football dressing rooms and claimed similar incidents have happened many times before at the Spanish giants. 

Perez admitted the confrontation was unfortunate but stressed that internal disagreements should remain private, especially at a club constantly under global attention.

“The row between the players was bad, but what is worse is that it became public,” Perez said during the press conference. 

The 79-year-old added that players can resolve conflicts between themselves, but leaks from within the club create a far bigger problem. 

He also claimed Real Madrid are aware of the individual responsible for revealing details of the incident.

The altercation reportedly escalated during a training session after Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand beforehand. 

Tempers flared during the session before the situation carried into the dressing room, where Valverde suffered a cut and bruising. 

Reports stated the injury was accidental and not caused by a direct punch, while several teammates intervened to calm both players before matters worsened further.

Valverde was later taken to hospital, where he received stitches for a deep cut. 

Real Madrid subsequently confirmed the midfielder had sustained a head injury but was recovering well at home. 

Club medical protocol reportedly requires a recovery period of between 10 and 14 days before he can return to action.

Following an internal disciplinary hearing, Real Madrid handed both players fines of €500,000, officially bringing the matter to a close. 

Tchouameni later issued a public apology, admitting the incident was unbecoming of a club of Real Madrid’s stature and accepting the punishment imposed by the club.