May incident sparks massive club fines
Tensions boiled over in the Spanish capital towards the end of the 2025-26 campaign. In May, an internal altercation resulted in Valverde requiring hospital treatment for a head injury.
The Los Blancos hierarchy moved swiftly to punish the pair, launching disciplinary proceedings that ended with massive €500,000 fines for both stars. Club president Florentino Perez publicly attempted to downplay the severity of the clash, though he admitted his frustration that news of the internal strife had leaked to the press.
Tchouameni denies physical blows
IMAGOSpeaking on The Bridge (via AS), Tchouameni categorically rejected reports that he engaged in a physical brawl with the Uruguayan. "I want to clear things up. There was no fight between us. Yes, it's true that things happen in the changing room, but we never had a fight," the France international explained.
While acknowledging that the atmosphere temporarily soured, he blamed the intense spotlight of the Santiago Bernabeu for exaggerating the fallout. "In a changing room there are little scuffles and things like that, but I never came to blows with Valverde. It's true that there was something unpleasant happened," he continued.
"The only problem with all this is that when you’re at Real Madrid, anything - however small - gets blown out of all proportion and becomes media circus. Something that wasn't necessarily a problem ends up becoming one."
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Moving past the media circus
The intense speculation generated immense concern among the midfielder's inner circle, forcing him to reassure worried family and friends off the pitch. "Afterwards, everyone calls me to find out what was going on and if I was all right… It’s such a minor thing. People messaged me about it," Tchouameni noted.
"They want to know what happened, but these days you have to be very discreet. To reassure people, I had to tell them that nothing was wrong. I once saw an NFL documentary and these things happen there all the time."
The Frenchman insists that rather than fracturing the squad, the heated exchange actually forged a tighter bond between the two players. He concluded: "If you walk into the dressing room today, as the coach said, you'll see that Fede and I are fine; there's no problem between us.
"On the pitch, there's no problem either – life goes on. And in fact, even these things bring you closer to the other person. We're fine; we don't have any problems."
Crucial Clasico clash awaits
IMAGOWith the dressing-room drama firmly behind them, focus now shifts to a massive domestic test. Real Madrid face arch-rivals Barcelona in a highly anticipated El Clasico on Sunday.
Los Blancos currently sit third in the table, trailing the league leaders and reigning champions by six points. They will rely heavily on their reunited midfield duo to anchor the engine room, secure a vital victory, and close the gap at the summit.