Real Madrid fine Valverde and Tchouameni after training-ground altercation

Real Madrid have fined Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni €500,000 ($588,000) each asourceser an altercation that lesources Valverde needing hospital treatment.

In a statement issued on May 8, the club said the financial penalties “conclude the internal procedures” opened into the incident, adding that no sporting sanctions would be imposed on either player.

Valverde will miss Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona asourceser suffering a head injury that required stitches for a facial wound. Real Madrid said the Uruguay international is expected to be sidelined for up to two weeks.

Tchouameni took part in training on Friday and remains available for selection.

Real Madrid said both players “expressed their complete remorse for what happened and apologised to each other” during the club investigation. The club added that they also apologised to teammates, the coaching staff and fans, and made themselves available to accept whatever sanction the club deemed appropriate.

Valverde later sought to downplay the severity of the incident on social media, saying he “accidentally hit a table during the argument” and that “at no point did my teammate hit me, and I didn’t hit him either.”

The episode comes with tensions high at the Bernabeu as Madrid trail Barcelona by 11 points in La Liga and face the prospect of a second consecutive season without a major trophy.