Fede Valverde addresses Aurelien Tchouameni fight in public statement – “At no time did my teammate hit me”

“I feel that my anger about the situation, my frustration at seeing some of us struggling to get through the end of the season, giving it our all, pushed me to the point of arguing with a teammate. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry because this situation hurts me, this moment we’re going through is painful. Real Madrid is one of the most important things in my life, and I can’t be indifferent to it. The result is an accumulation of things that culminate in a senseless fight, damaging my image and leaving room for doubt that they’ll fabricate stories, slander, and add fuel to the fire of an accident.

“I have no doubt that any disagreements we might have off the field cease to exist on it, and if I have to defend it inside a stadium, I’ll be the first. I wasn’t going to speak out until the end of the season. We were eliminated from the Champions League, and I kept my anger and resentment to myself. We’ve wasted another year, and I wasn’t in a position to be posting on social media when the only face I had to show was on the field, and I feel that’s what I did. That’s why I’m the one who’s most saddened and pained to be going through this situation that prevents me from playing the next match due to medical decisions.

“I always gave it my all, to the very end, and it hurts me more than anyone not to be able to do so. I am available to the club and my teammates to collaborate on any decision they deem necessary. Thank you.”

Where do we go from here?

While Real Madrid conduct their internal investigation, Valverde – who cannot play anyway due to concussion protocols – and Tchouameni will not be made available to head coach Alvaro Arbeloa for selection. Although the former has tried to play down the matter with this statement, it is clearly being treated with the upmost seriousness from the higher-ups at the Bernabeu.