€500,000 each and a verdict the club won’t say out loud: Real Madrid’s punishment lands

Last Updated on 9 May 2026

Real Madrid have closed their formal disciplinary proceedings against Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni, handing both players an unprecedented €500,000 fine following their Valdebebas altercation. The sanctions are equal on paper.

The reality inside the Real Madrid building is anything but. Tchouameni, according to multiple sources, will be available for El Clasico against Barcelona. Valverde will watch from home, despite an apology.

And within the dressing room, a verdict has already been reached, one that points squarely at the Uruguayan.

Real Madrid confirm fines to end the dressing room civil war

Both Valverde and Tchouameni have been fined €500,000 following the club’s investigation into the training ground fight. The symmetry of the punishment suggests a club attempting to treat the incident as a mutual failing: two players, one transgression, shared consequences.

But the framing does not survive contact with what is actually being said inside Valdebebas. According to reports from MARCA, Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand at the start of training, which resulted in a tense session and served as the precursor to the eventual fight.

From there, Valverde put in a series of strong challenges during the session that Tchouameni did not react to. When Arbeloa attempted to defuse the situation by placing the two on the same team, Valverde suggested to Tchouameni that he was “lucky to avoid facing him.”

After training concluded, Tchouameni called Valverde over and was insulted by the Uruguayan, at which point Tchouameni struck Valverde, the pair tussled, and Valverde banged his head on a table and lost consciousness. The financial penalty is equal. The moral accounting is not.

“He has been like this all year”: The Real Madrid dressing room verdict on Valverde

What makes this story more than a fight between two frustrated footballers is what it has revealed about Valverde’s standing within his own squad. Sources at Cadena SER report that many Real Madrid players believe Valverde crossed the line with Tchouameni.

While they do not justify Tchouameni’s behaviour, there is far more disappointment with Valverde as he incessantly accused the Frenchman of leaking the story. The Athletic’s reporting goes further explaining Valverde “has been like this all year”.

In fact, as per the reports his attitude has been “unworthy of a captain”. That phrase carries particular weight. Valverde has worn the captain’s armband this season, and the vice-captaincy brings with it an expectation of conduct that extends beyond individual performance.

A captain who keeps accusing teammates of betrayal, refuses handshakes, and needles a colleague through an entire training session before the biggest game of the year, is corroding. Even the club appear to be more disappointed in the Uruguayan than in Tchouameni.

And early indications suggest Valverde’s sanction could yet prove heavier. For now, the fines stand equal. But Tchouameni will be on the pitch at El Clasico. Valverde will not. And the dressing room, the jury that matters most in any football club, has already delivered its verdict.