According to a report by Madrid Universal on Friday October 23, 2026, Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has broken his silence on the reported controversy involving teammate Federico Valverde, insisting that the pair never physically fought while admitting that an unpleasant incident took place between them.

Reports emerged in May 2026 claiming that the two midfielders had clashed at Real Madrid's Valdebebas training ground following a training session. The incident reportedly escalated, with Valverde said to have suffered a cut to his head and subsequently visited hospital.

However, Tchouaméni has now denied that the disagreement resulted in a physical fight, explaining that tensions and disagreements can occur inside a football dressing room.

Speaking on The Bridge, the France international said: “People talk a lot, but there was no fight between Valverde and me. Yes, it's true that things happen in the locker room, but we never fought. In a locker room, there are veiled insults and things like that, but I never came to blows with Valverde.”

The 26-year-old also criticised the intense media attention surrounding the incident, arguing that even minor issues can become major controversies when they involve a club as prominent as Real Madrid.

“It's true that something unpleasant happened,” he added. “The only problem with all of this is that it's Real Madrid, and anything, no matter how small, gets blown out of proportion and becomes a media circus. Something that wasn't necessarily a problem ends up becoming one.”

The controversy overshadowed the closing stages of Real Madrid's 2025-26 campaign. According to reports at the time, both players were fined €500,000, while they also issued apologies following the incident.

Valverde reportedly addressed the speculation on social media, stating that he had not been struck. Former Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa also criticised the leak of information about the dressing-room matter, describing it as a betrayal of the club.

Despite the controversy, Tchouaméni and Valverde have remained important players for Real Madrid under José Mourinho. The pair have featured prominently this season, although their partnership in central midfield has attracted criticism over its lack of creativity.

Mourinho has experimented with his team selection, including moving Valverde to right-back and bringing Arda Güler into midfield alongside Tchouaméni during the recent 4-1 victory over Sevilla.

Real Madrid are currently third in La Liga with 21 points from nine matches, six points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of Sunday's El Clásico at Spotify Camp Nou.