Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has stated he will not 'publicly crucify' his players following the training ground altercation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, but admitted he holds himself accountable for the club's current predicament.
Incident Details and Fines
Both Valverde and Tchouameni have been fined €500,000 (approximately £430,000) for their involvement in the physical confrontation on Thursday, which resulted in Valverde being hospitalised. Spanish media reported that the clash, which began the previous day, escalated into a physical fight. According to The Athletic, Valverde had refused to shake Tchouameni's hand before training, despite doing so with other teammates. During the session, the team captain made several aggressive challenges towards his rival. Later, when placed on the same team for a drill, Valverde allegedly implied Tchouameni was fortunate not to be facing him, leading to further conflict.
Valverde is believed to have insulted the Frenchman before being struck. In the ensuing scuffle, Valverde hit a table, sustaining a cut that bled heavily and causing him to briefly lose consciousness, which alarmed teammates including Tchouameni. Despite the incident, Valverde posted on social media Thursday insisting neither he nor Tchouameni threw a punch.
Arbeloa's Response
Speaking ahead of Sunday's crucial match against arch-rivals Barcelona, Arbeloa defended both players. Valverde will miss the game due to his head injury, while Tchouameni is available for selection. Arbeloa praised the club's swift action and the players' apologies. 'What I'm not going to do is publicly crucify them, because they don't deserve it,' Arbeloa said in his press conference. 'They've shown me what it means to be a Real Madrid player over these past four months and years. These two players deserve for us to turn the page and give them an opportunity to keep fighting for this club.'
Arbeloa added: 'I'm the one ultimately responsible for the fact that we probably haven't lived up to expectations this season. If you want to point the finger at someone, here I am.' He emphasised that clashes between teammates have always occurred in dressing rooms, referencing the 2007 incident when his then-Liverpool teammate Craig Bellamy hit John Arne Riise with a golf club after Riise refused to sing karaoke. Despite that, Liverpool reached the Champions League final that season.
Leaks and Mbappe Defence
Arbeloa expressed concern over leaks from the Real Madrid dressing room, calling them a 'betrayal and disloyalty to the badge'. When asked if he knew the source, he said: 'No, I don't work for the CIA and I'm not accusing the players. What happens with my players will remain between them and me, and we have to set an example.'
He also defended Kylian Mbappe, who has faced criticism for laughing as he left training on Thursday and for holidaying while injured. Arbeloa said: 'For a player to leave training smiling is taking things out of context. In Mbappe's case, we all know the effort he made to come to Madrid and what he gave up. I feel completely within the authority of a Madrid coach.'
Upcoming Clash
Real Madrid's difficult week could worsen on Sunday as they need a victory over Barcelona to delay the Catalans' second successive La Liga title. Barcelona lead by 11 points with only four matches remaining.
