Mourinho pushes peace for Tchouameni‑Valverde duo at Real Madrid

Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho says he is determined to put the lingering dispute between Real Madrid midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde behind them, after the dressing‑room clash that saw the Uruguayan hospitalized, and insists the matter is now settled as the new season approaches.

Incident and club sanctions

It has been just over three months since the two players came to blows in the Real Madrid dressing room, an episode that left Valverde with a head injury and required hospital treatment. The club imposed a €500,000 fine on each player, which Mourinho believes helped cool tempers.

This Monday, after the World Cup and a period of vacation, Tchouameni and Valverde crossed paths again at Valdebebas when the Frenchman returned to work. The encounter marked the first time they had met at the training ground since the incident.

Both players have publicly accepted each other's apologies. Aurelien Tchouameni told L’Equipe, “There is no problem… we shook hands when he came back and carried on working together.” Federico Valverde added, “I had the support of a lot of people,” confirming the peace between them.

Mourinho says there will be no special meeting; the matter is considered settled and the duo have already discussed it themselves. He will only intervene if on‑pitch events suggest the wound has not truly healed.

Mourinho’s squad vision and locker‑room goals

According to AS, Mourinho intends to use Valverde and Tchouameni as a double pivot in a side that also features an attacking quartet of Yan Diomande, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham.

The Portuguese coach is focused on building a united locker room, believing a strong understanding between the Frenchman and the Uruguayan on the pitch is crucial for the team’s stability this season.

Despite training together a few times, the pair have not played together since the May 7 altercation; Valverde was initially sidelined under concussion protocol, and later muscular problems kept one or the other out of the final league matches, which were already decided.

Mourinho will now hope that no lingering issues remain as the new season looms, trusting the reconciled relationship will translate into cohesion on the field.