At a glance
- MARCA has reported that Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni “almost came to blows” after an argument.
- The report comes after news that Antonio Rudiger slapped Alvaro Carreras in the face.
- A few days out from El Clasico, tensions continue to rise in the Real Madrid locker room.
Real Madrid midfielders Fede Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni “almost came to blows” during an argument this week according to MARCA.
The kerfuffle reportedly started during a training game, with a foul causing a bust up between the Uruguayan and Frenchman.
The two players came face to face at Valdebebas and pushed each other. In the locker room, the argument continued and they almost came to blows.
The report is especially concerning given it comes just days before El Clasico. Furthermore, Onda Cero revealed a confrontation Antonio Rudiger had with Alvaro Carreras in the days between the Alaves and Real Betis matches.
Rudiger allegedly slapped the Spaniard. And while Carreras didn’t mention Rudiger by name, he’s already confirmed an incident via a personal statement.
To make amends, Rudiger has apologised to his teammates and invited them to lunch with their families. With Kylian Mbappe arguing with one of Alvaro Arbeloa’s staff on the training ground, though, this is the third incident we’ve heard about in a matter of days.
Real Madrid need to get their house in order
At a time when Barca need just a point to win La Liga for the second year running, a probably soon departing Arbeloa has to put out fires post haste.
Tchouameni and Valverde are midfield partners, and this sort of chaos is not the best background for the Clasico on Sunday.
MARCA speaks of a group that’s “increasingly divided internally” and players “who practically have no relationship with each other”.
It’s clear that the culture has to change at the Bernabeu. That could mean bringing in a man-manager like Carlo Ancelotti who can heal divides, or moving on rotten eggs that don’t gel.
What’s clear is that a third campaign without major silverware won’t do, and it’s hard to rectify that if the squad isn’t united and fighting for one another.
