Aurélien Tchouaméni has denied exchanging blows with his Real Madrid teammate Federico Valverde during the incident that sparked widespread controversy at the end of last season, confirming that its aftermath has been overcome.
The French international’s statements came during his appearance on “The Bridge” show, presenting his version of the events that prompted the club to intervene and brought the dressing room atmosphere at the time back into the spotlight.
“I didn’t fight with Valverde, but something ugly happened,” Tchouaméni said.
He added, speaking about the scale of media coverage surrounding the incident: “Anything small at Real Madrid gets blown out of proportion.”
Regarding his current relationship with his teammate, the Frenchman confirmed that the situation inside the dressing room and on the pitch is stable, concluding: “We are fine, and there is no problem between us.”
The incident dates back to last May 7, when reports surfaced of a confrontation between the two players that ended with Valverde sustaining a head injury and being taken to the hospital, while Real Madrid opened disciplinary proceedings against both parties before imposing financial fines on them.
Valverde had also previously denied exchanging punches with Tchouaméni, whereas Florentino Pérez considered the leaking of internal dressing room matters more alarming than the dispute itself, noting that friction between players happens at clubs.
Tchouaméni’s statements come ahead of Sunday’s clash against Barcelona at the Camp Nou, where José Mourinho relies on both players among his starting options, as Real Madrid enters the match in third place with 21 points, trailing their leading rivals by six points.
