Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni recently spoke on the altercation he and Federico Valverde had last spring, which ended with the Uruguayan in the hospital. Although they never came to blows, he admitted that “something ugly happened.”

The incident occurred during the chaotic final weeks of Real Madrid’s 2025–26 season. Reports indicated that Tchouaméni and Valverde got in a locker room fight that resulted in the latter requiring stitches for a cut in his head that forced him to miss three games.

Valverde addressed the situation immediately, and both players were fined €500,000 ($580,000) by the club. The Frenchman also spoke on the situation during the infancy of the World Cup; however, now nearly six months after the altercation, Tchouaméni appeared on The Bridge to speak more honestly about what happened.

“People talk a lot, but there was no fight between Valverde and I,” Tchouameni said. “Yes, it’s true that things happen in the locker room, but we never got in a fight. There might’ve been indirect comments or something like that, but I never came to blows with Valverde.

“It’s true that something ugly happened, but the problem is that it’s Real Madrid, so any issue, no matter how small, gets blown out of proportion and generates crazy high media attention. So, something that wasn’t necessarily a problem, becomes one.”

Tchouaméni Reveals Incident Made Him ‘Closer’ With Valverde

The headline-grabbing incident prompted many to believe that one of the two midfielders would have to leave the club during the summer transfer window. In the end, both Tchouaméni and Valverde stayed in Madrid, and incoming manager José Mourinho stated that he didn’t even have to address the situation upon arrival, given the pair had a good relationship.

Tchouaméni echoed the words of his manager, revealing he is on good terms with Valverde and that the incident might’ve even helped them grow closer.

“If you walked into the locker room today, as Mourinho said, you’d see that Valverde and I are fine,” Tchouaméni said. “There’s no problem between us. On the pitch there’s no problem either, life goes on.

“In fact, things like this can actually bring you closer to the other person. We are fine, we have no problem.”

Tchouaméni, Valverde Remain Vital for Real Madrid Ahead of El Clásico

Tchouaméni and Valverde’s off-field relationship might be repaired; however, Real Madrid continue to struggle against strong opposition when the pair are deployed together in midfield—as has been the case for the past two seasons.

The pair remain key contributors under Mourinho, but after unconvincing performances, it seems like the Portuguese manager has recently found his best starting XI with both players on the pitch, just not together in the engine room.

Valverde might not love it, but he has been brilliant over the past two games operating as Real Madrid’s right back and is expected to continue featuring at the position. Meanwhile, although he didn’t play last time out, Tchouaméni looked significantly more comfortable and effective with Arda Güler next to him in midfield. He also looked more comfortable in the past next to fellow France international Eduardo Camavinga.

Both Tchouaméni and Valverde are expected to start when Real Madrid visit Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Sunday for the first El Clásico of the 2026–27 season.

Los Blancos are on a high after winning four in a row since the September–October international break; however, now comes the biggest test yet against their bitter rivals. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will fall nine points behind Barça in the standings if they lose on Sunday, significantly compromising their La Liga title hopes with over two-thirds of the season left.