Arbeloa Defends Valverde-Tchouaméni After Fight: 'Not Going to Burn Them at a Public Stake'

Real Madrid's youth team coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, has publicly backed midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni following their training ground scuffle, urging the club and its supporters to move on from the incident. Arbeloa, speaking at a press conference, stated that the players' apologies and expressions of regret were enough to close the chapter on the altercation, which led to significant fines from the club.

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The players have acknowledged their error, expressed their remorse, and asked for forgiveness. For me, that is enough.

"The players have acknowledged their error, expressed their remorse, and asked for forgiveness," Arbeloa said, emphasizing that he found their apologies sufficient. He firmly rejected the idea of publicly shaming the players, asserting, "I am not going to burn them at a public stake, because they do not deserve it." Arbeloa stressed that both Valverde and Tchouaméni deserve for the team to "turn the page" on the matter.

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What I am not going to do is burn them at a public stake, because they do not deserve it. Valverde and Tchouaméni deserve for us to turn the page.

The incident, which saw the two players exchange blows during a training session, resulted in Valverde sustaining a head injury that required hospital attention. While the club acknowledged the seriousness of the breach of team discipline by imposing substantial fines, Arbeloa's comments suggest a belief that the internal disciplinary measures were adequate. He drew parallels to past incidents in his own career, noting that such altercations, while not justifiable, have historically occurred within football.

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I had a teammate who hit another with a golf club.

Arbeloa also took a strong stance against the media leak of the incident, which was first reported by the Spanish newspaper Marca. He described the disclosure of internal dressing room matters as a "betrayal" of Real Madrid, reinforcing the code of silence often associated with top football clubs. His remarks highlight a desire to control the narrative and protect the team's internal dynamics from public scrutiny, prioritizing unity and forward momentum over dwelling on past conflicts.

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For things that have happened in the dressing room to be leaked seems like a betrayal of Real Madrid. What happens in the dressing room should stay in the dressing room.