Why Fede Valverde is ‘sorry’ over growing discomfort in Real Madrid’s squad

It also reflects a wider sense of frustration inside the squad as expectations have not been met.

Champions League exit and ‘wasted year’ fueled Fede Valverde’s frustration

Valverde went on to explain why he had remained silent until now.

“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,” he continued.

“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,” the Real Madrid captain further stated.

The Champions League exit proved to be a turning point. Real Madrid were knocked out in the quarter-finals, and that disappointment carried into the final stretch of the campaign, where the team also fell behind in the La Liga title race.

That frustration has reportedly spilled into the dressing room, with multiple disagreements between players and a growing sense of unrest during a season that could end without major silverware.

The incident involving Valverde and Tchouameni is now being viewed as part of that wider picture rather than an isolated moment.

For Valverde, the apology is an attempt to bring clarity. But it also underlines just how difficult this period has been for Real Madrid.

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