Tchouaméni opens up about reported clash with Valverde: 'We never fought'

Aurélien Tchouaméni has spoken again about the tense episode with Federico Valverde that shook the Real Madrid dressing room last season and ended with an internal penalty for both players. Two days before El Clásico, the French midfielder insists there was never a physical fight with the Uruguayan and points to the media pressure around the club as the real reason behind the controversy.

The France international had already claimed that the two men had made peace. Now, speaking on the 'The Bridge' program, he has gone further and explained why an internal disagreement reached a dimension that, in his view, did not match reality.

• Tchouaméni denies fighting Valverde and says there was never a physical clash.
• He says there was "something ugly" in the dressing room, but it did not go that far.
• He believes the issue grew because of the media attention Real Madrid generates.
• Both players were handed internal sanctions last season after the incident.
• The Frenchman remembers several phone calls and stresses the need to stay quiet.

What happened between Tchouaméni and Valverde in the Real Madrid locker room

A disagreement between two key midfielders became major news in the middle of the season. According to Tchouaméni, the situation included "indirect messages and things like that", which are part of life in an elite squad, but it never turned into a physical fight with Valverde.

"Things happen in a dressing room, but we never fought. There are indirect comments and things like that, but I never hit Valverde. It is true that there was something ugly," the French player explained.

People talk a lot, but there was no fight between Valverde and me. It is true that there was something ugly. The only problem with all this is that this is Real Madrid and anything, no matter how small, gets bigger and reaches a crazy media dimension.

How Real Madrid managed the internal sanction for Tchouaméni and Valverde

The incident did not go unnoticed inside the club, which decided to punish both players internally. Although the Frenchman's version plays down what happened, Real Madrid wanted to set limits and make clear that certain attitudes would not be tolerated.

The sanction took place during a season that ended with important titles for Madrid, which suggests that the squad managed to move on and close ranks when the most demanding weeks of the calendar arrived.

Playing for Real Madrid under the media microscope: Tchouaméni's view

For the midfielder born in Rouen, the real issue was not the disagreement itself, but the enormous spotlight that follows a club like Real Madrid. "Something that was not necessarily a problem ended up being one," he said about the way the story was covered.

Tchouaméni believes professional dressing rooms usually include normal tension, but very few squads are under the daily scrutiny of the Spanish giants, where every gesture can be amplified beyond recognition.

Staying quiet as the answer: how Tchouaméni ended the story

The Real Madrid player also revealed that he received several calls from people asking what had happened and that he had to play down the issue to reassure those around him. According to his account, staying quiet became his best tool to reduce the noise.

The Frenchman compared the situation to leagues such as the NFL, a competition in which, as he pointed out, tension between teammates happens often but does not always generate the same public attention as the environment around Madrid.

Tchouaméni and Valverde before El Clásico: two key pieces for Ancelotti

The peace between both players comes at a crucial moment: Real Madrid are preparing to face FC Barcelona in El Clásico, a match in which the midfield will be decisive. Both Tchouaméni and Valverde are expected to play important roles in the setup of Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti.

With a full squad and the dressing room apparently back to normal, the Spanish club is getting ready for one of the most demanding fixtures of the league season with the aim of staying in the title race.