Real Madrid have fined Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni €500,000 each following an altercation between the two players, the Spanish club announced on Friday.
In an official statement, Real Madrid said both players appeared before the club’s investigator after disciplinary proceedings were opened following Thursday’s incident.
“During the hearing, the players expressed deep regret over what happened and apologized to each other,” the club stated. “They also apologized to the club, their teammates, the coaching staff, and the supporters, while agreeing to accept any sanction considered appropriate by Real Madrid.”
The club decided to punish the players financially, imposing a €500,000 fine on each of them, while ruling out any sporting sanctions.
The incident reportedly began with a disagreement the previous day, according to Spanish media. Tensions escalated on Thursday when Valverde allegedly refused to shake Tchouaméni’s hand and later fouled the French midfielder during training. The confrontation is said to have continued in the dressing room, where Valverde suffered a head injury.
The Real Madrid captain is expected to be sidelined for between 10 and 14 days.
After being eliminated from the Champions League quarter-finals and falling far behind FC Barcelona in the league standings, Real Madrid now risk ending the season without a major trophy for the second consecutive year. Barcelona could even secure the league title on Sunday if they avoid defeat in the upcoming Clásico.
