Tchouameni makes first comments on Valverde spat
Aurelien Tchouameni claims much of what was written about his clash with Real Madrid team-mate Federico Valverde earlier this month was nonsense, and insists there is no animosity between the two.
At the start of May, Madrid took disciplinary action against both Tchouameni and Valverde after reports that the duo had been embroiled in two separate training bust-ups.
The second clash between the two midfielders left Valverde with a cut head that required hospital treatment and caused him to miss a Clasico meeting between Madrid and Barcelona.
Los Blancos were beaten 2-0 in that game at Camp Nou, with Barca's victory securing its second LaLiga title in as many seasons under coach Hansi Flick, while also confirming Madrid's 2025-2026 campaign would end without any major silverware.
It was subsequently said that both players had been fined €500,000 ($812,910), and in a press conference at France's pre-FIFA World Cup training camp, Tchouameni addressed the incident for the first time.
"Obviously, things happened, you could see and hear it in the media. It was magnified because it came out in the media and when you play for Real Madrid that creates a great reaction," he said.
"A lot of nonsense was said in the press. I read that there was a fight and that I had punched him, which was not the case. I will not go into any more details.
"The most important thing is that the club was aware of what happened. There are many things that happen in the dressing room that do not appear in the press. Life goes on.
"Me and Fede have a common goal, to win titles with Real Madrid. There are no problems.
"And if I face him at the [2026 FIFA] World Cup, I will want to win with the France team. On the personal side, there are no problems right now with Valverde."
Tchouameni's attention now turns to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with France opening its final tournament under the management of Didier Deschamps on 17 June (AEST), against Senegal.
Kylian Mbappe, another Real Madrid player, will wear the captain's armband for Les Bleus, and Tchouameni believes his leadership skills can help France improve on its runner-up finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
"Kylian is already a technical leader on the field, and off it as well," Tchouameni said. "He talks a lot during games and in the dressing room. He has the capacity to reach everyone.
"He is our captain and he is the one who sets an example for us. He is someone who jokes a lot, both at club and in the French national team. He fulfils his role as captain very well."
Asked if Madrid's poor campaign had affected either his or Mbappe's FIFA World Cup preparations, Tchouameni added: "The [FIFA] World Cup is a little more special. As a club, we are always focused there, and the season did not go as we wanted.
"But every time we arrive with the national team, it doesn't matter what we do with our clubs because it's a new dynamic. You have to dissociate the two things."
