Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa addressed the altercation between players Valverde and Tchouameni during a press conference before El Clásico against Barcelona. The incident has drawn significant attention and resulted in punishments for both players.
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🚨 El Clásico: Arbeloa opens up on row between Valverde and Tchouameni
Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa spoke to the press this Saturday in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s (10) clash against Barcelona, El Clásico.
And, as expected, the fight between Valverde and Tchouameni was one of the most discussed topics.
The coach gave his version of the controversy involving his teammates, who were punished and fined by the merengue club.
I am very proud of the club’s firmness, speed, and transparency. And also of the fact that the players acknowledged their mistake, showed remorse, and apologized. For me, that is enough."
"Valverde and Tchouameni deserve for us to turn the page and give them a chance to keep fighting for this club. I am very proud of them. I will not allow this to be used to cast doubt on their professionalism: it is a lie that they are not professionals or that they have disrespected me... it is absolutely untrue," the coach stressed.
On top of that, Arbeloa guaranteed that Tchouameni will be included in the squad for El Clásico and said he is "very happy with the work of his four captains."
The manager also denied reports of problems with some players, such as Carvajal. "It is a lie that any of them are not playing because of problems with me or because of their life outside Real Madrid. I am the first person responsible for the fact that the season is certainly not up to standard. But I have been here for four months and I am very proud of my players."
"What I am not going to do is burn them at a public stake, because they do not deserve it," Arbeloa stressed, also saying that he sees a "healthy dressing room."
Valverde and Tchouameni were involved in a fight that has become a major topic of discussion ahead of El Clásico.
Álvaro Arbeloa provided his perspective on the controversy during a press conference, emphasizing the significance of the situation.
Both players were punished and fined by Real Madrid following the altercation.
The next El Clásico match is scheduled for Sunday, October 10.
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Asked about Mbappé’s attitude, the coach was direct: "Anyone who wants to take out of context the fact that a player leaves training smiling is distorting things. I can only vouch for him, for his work and for the way he treats me. When he played, it was because he deserved it, and when he did not play, it was because someone else deserved it more."
Finally, Arbeloa did not hold back in criticizing the reports that came out of the dressing room: "For things that happened inside the dressing room to be leaked seems like a betrayal of Real Madrid and its badge to me."
"I am not accusing my players, or anyone. There are a lot of people at Real Madrid and I am not here to point the finger at anyone. What happens with my players will stay between them and me," he concluded.
Sunday’s El Clásico will be played at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. (Brasília time).
Barcelona come into the clash as clear leaders with 78 points, holding an important advantage at the top of the table.
Real Madrid are right behind them in second place with 72 points.
With only four rounds left in the championship after this weekend, the match at the Santiago Bernabéu is the last big opportunity for Los Blancos to cut the gap and reopen the La Liga title race.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.