Real Madrid players fined €500,000 each after training ground brawl
What's the story
Real Madrid players Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde have been fined €500,000 (£432,000) each after a physical altercation at the club's training ground, as per Sky Sports News. The incident occurred on Thursday and resulted in Valverde being hospitalized with cranioencephalic trauma. Following the fight, a crisis meeting was held by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to address the matter.
Investigation details
Both players expressed remorse
The club has launched disciplinary proceedings against both players after the fight. A statement from Real Madrid read, "Real Madrid C. F. announces that, following the events that led to the disciplinary proceedings initiated yesterday against our players Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, both appeared today before the investigator assigned to the case." The statement added that both players expressed remorse for their actions and apologized to each other as well as to their teammates, coaching staff, and fans.
Injury impact
Valverde sidelined for 2 weeks
The club has confirmed that Valverde will be sidelined for 10 days to two weeks due to his injury. However, Tchouameni may still be fit in time for Sunday's crucial La Liga clash against Barcelona. The match is critical as a loss would hand Barcelona the La Liga title, making it the first time either team has won the trophy with a result against their Clasico rival.
Incident clarification
Valverde clarifies the incident
In a statement, Valverde clarified that he had an incident with a teammate during training. "Yesterday I had an incident with a team-mate as a result of a play during training, where the fatigue of competition and frustration make everything seem bigger than it is," he said. He added that "in a normal locker room, these things can happen and are resolved among ourselves without becoming public."
Apology
Valverde sorry for situation
Valverde expressed his anger and frustration at Madrid's trophyless season, saying, "I feel that my anger about the situation, my frustration at seeing some of us reaching the end of the season on our last legs, giving everything we have, pushed me to the point of arguing with a team-mate." He said he was sorry for this situation and that it hurts him.