Real Madrid has fined midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros each following a training-ground altercation on Thursday at the Valdebebas base. The fight left Valverde with a head injury, resulting in a hospital visit for a small cut before he was discharged. While the club opened disciplinary proceedings, Valverde stated on social media that no punches were thrown and that the injury occurred when he hit a table.
The club announced on Friday that the internal disciplinary procedures have concluded after both players expressed complete remorse and apologized to one another. In addition to the heavy financial penalties, Real Madrid decided not to impose any sporting sanctions on the pair.
Tchouaméni returned to training on Friday, while Valverde remained absent to recover from his head knock. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa has urged the team to focus on Sunday's top-of-the-table clash against Barcelona. The match is critical, as Real Madrid must win to prevent Barcelona from being crowned La Liga champion.