Tchouameni can play Clasico despite Valverde clash: Real Madrid's Arbeloa

TL;DR

Real Madrid's coach Alvaro Arbeloa confirmed Aurelien Tchouameni will be available for the Clasico against Barcelona despite a recent training ground altercation with Fede Valverde. Both players have apologized and accepted fines from the club following the incident.

Key points

Aurelien Tchouameni will play in the Clasico against Barcelona.
Tchouameni and Valverde had a training ground altercation.
Both players have apologized and accepted fines from Real Madrid.
Alvaro Arbeloa commented on the importance of privacy in team matters.
Barcelona could win La Liga if they beat Real Madrid.

Mentioned in this story

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Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said he had accepted the apologies of Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde after their training ground row (OSCAR DEL POZO) (OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP/AFP) Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said Aurelien Tchouameni will be in his team's squad to face Barcelona on Sunday in La Liga, despite his confrontation with team-mate Fede Valverde. The Uruguay captain was treated in hospital for a head injury and will miss up to a fortnight while he recovers, after the two players argued at the end of training on Thursday. Real Madrid fined France international Tchouameni and Valverde on Friday and said both midfielders had apologised to each other and the club, fans, staff and team-mates. If Real Madrid fail to beat Barcelona, the Catalans will be crowned Spanish champions for a second consecutive season. "Tomorrow Tchouameni will be in the squad," Arbeloa told reporters, when asked about the Frenchman's availability for the Clasico at Camp Nou. Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso in January of a troubled season for Madrid, said he had accepted both players' apologies for the incident. "I'm very proud of the club's decisiveness, speed, and transparency, and that the players have acknowledged their mistake, expressed their regret, accepted the consequences of what they have done, and asked for forgiveness," said Arbeloa. "For me, that's enough. What I'm not going to do is burn them at the stake in public, because they don't deserve that... because of what they've shown me over these four months and over these years. "They've shown they understand what it means to be a Real Madrid player, their commitment, their effort, their love for the shirt, and I'm not going to forget that." Arbeloa said what was more troubling to him was that somebody would leak the details of the row to the media. "That things are leaked that happened in the dressing room, to me is a betrayal of Real Madrid and the club badge," said the coach. Arbeloa was at Liverpool in 2007 when Welsh striker Craig Bellamy hit team-mate with a golf club. A few days later Bellamy celebrated scoring against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the Champions League with a golf swing celebration. "I had a team-mate who smacked another one with a golf club," remembered Arbeloa. "For me, the thing that hurts me the most is that what happens in the Real Madrid dressing room should stay in the Real Madrid dressing room. "Situations that don't represent Real Madrid, or any club, situations that shouldn't happen between team-mates, have always happened, everywhere, but I'm not justifying it." Arbeloa added that it was "not easy" for the players to be at Real Madrid and on the verge of not winning a major trophy for two consecutive seasons.

Q&A

What happened between Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde?

Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde had a confrontation during training, which led to both players being fined and apologizing to each other and the club.

Will Aurelien Tchouameni play in the Clasico against Barcelona?

Yes, Aurelien Tchouameni has been confirmed to be in the squad for the Clasico despite the recent incident.

What are the consequences for Tchouameni and Valverde after their altercation?

Both players were fined by Real Madrid and have publicly apologized for their actions following the training ground row.

What did Real Madrid's coach say about the incident?

Coach Alvaro Arbeloa expressed pride in the players' acknowledgment of their mistake and emphasized the importance of keeping internal matters private.