Tchouameni: 'A lot of nonsense' written about Valverde bust-up

Aurelien Tchouameni says "a lot of nonsense" was written about his clash with Real Madrid team-mate Federico Valverde earlier this month and insists there is no animosity between the duo.

At the start of May, Madrid took disciplinary action against both Tchouameni and Valverde, following reports that the duo had been embroiled in two separate training bust-ups.

The second clash between the two midfielders left Valverde with a cut head that required treatment and caused him to miss a Clasico meeting between Madrid and Barcelona.

Los Blancos were beaten 2-0 in that game at Camp Nou, with Barca's victory securing their second LaLiga title in as many seasons under Hansi Flick, while also confirming Madrid's 2025-26 campaign would end without any major silverware.

It was subsequently said that both players had been fined €500,000, and in a press conference at France's pre-World Cup training camp on Sunday, Tchouameni addressed the incident for the first time.

"Obviously, things happened, you could see and hear it in the media. It was magnified because it came out in the media and when you play for Real Madrid that creates a great reaction," he told reporters. 

"A lot of nonsense was said in the press. I read that there was a fight and that I had punched him, which was not the case. I will not go into any more details. 

"The most important thing is that the club was aware of what happened. There are many things that happen in the dressing room that do not appear in the press. Life goes on. 

"Me and Fede have a common goal, to win titles with Real Madrid. There are no problems. 

"And if I face him at the World Cup, I will want to win with the French team. On the personal side, there are no problems right now with Valverde."

Tchouameni's attention now turns to the World Cup, with France opening their final tournament under the management of Didier Deschamps on June 16, against Senegal.

His club-mate Kylian Mbappe will wear the captain's armband for Les Bleus. At the 2022 World Cup, Mbappe won the Golden Boot and finished with the joint-most goal involvements (eight goals, two assists) alongside Lionel Messi, becoming only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, after Geoff Hurst in 1966.

And Tchouameni believes Mbappe's leadership skills can help France improve on their runners-up finish at the Qatar tournament.  

"Kylian is already a technical leader on the field, and off it as well," he said. "He talks a lot during games and in the dressing room. He has the capacity to reach everyone. 

"He is our captain and he is the one who sets an example for us. He is someone who jokes a lot, both at club and in the French national team. He fulfils his role as captain very well."

Asked if Madrid's poor campaign had affected either his or Mbappe's World Cup preparations, Tchouameni added: "The World Cup is a little more special. As a club, we are always focused there, and the season did not go as we wanted. 

"But every time we arrive with the national team, it doesn't matter what we do with our clubs because it's a new dynamic. You have to dissociate the two things."