Another day, another piece of drama at Real Madrid. It has been a challenging week for the Spanish team that on Sunday will meet Barcelona for one of the most anticipated El Clásicos of recent years. In fact, if Barcelona avoid defeat against the side coached by Alvaro Arbeloa, the Blaugrana will be crowned LaLiga champions. Despite the challenging match upcoming, there has been no time for rest for Madrid fans as multiple things off the pitch have increased the level of stress, starting with the recent drama between Real Madrid midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Let’s take a look at what happened:
A brawl between players?
Real Madrid midfielders Valverde and Tchouameni were involved in two separate physical altercations on Wednesday and Thursday, according to multiple reports. The Uruguayan midfielder reportedly required hospital treatment and received stitches following the incidents.
Cadena SER reports that Valverde sustained a head injury during one of the confrontations with the French midfielder and had to leave the Real Madrid training center in a wheelchair. The exact cause of the dispute has not been made public, but teammates had to step in to separate the two players, according to reports.
Tensions appear to have carried over from the first incident, as Valverde allegedly refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand after a challenge made by the Frenchman during Wednesday’s clash. Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand early in the morning and that preceded a tension-filled session. In an unprecedented move, the entire squad remained at the training facility for an emergency “crisis cabinet” meeting. No players were allowed to leave until the situation was addressed internally with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez personally involved in the decision-making process.
Mourinho back at the club?
Meanwhile, Real Madrid are planning their future. According to multiple reports, Arbeloa has little chances to be on the bench of the Spanish team at the beginning of the 2026-27 season and there are increasing chances to see a comeback of Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese coach already managed the Spanish giants from 2010 to 2013, winning one LaLiga title, one Spanish Supercup and one Copa del Rey. While his future at Benfica will only be assessed at the end of the current spell, Mourinho would be happy to be back in Madrid, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, and he’s only waiting for a decision from his former president Perez, who will personally decide who will be the new coach starting from the summer.
The Mbappe petition
French star Kylian Mbappe, who next month will lead the French national team at the 2026 World Cup, was seen in Sardinia over the past several days as he’s currently granted some time off by the medical staff of the Spanish team, as he can’t be included in the roster.
Still, the timing of the trip seemed unconventional, as there is also an online petition to ask for Real Madrid to sell Mbappe in the summer that has reached over 35 million signatures.
“Madridistas, make your voice heard. If you believe change is needed, don’t stay silent — sign this petition and stand for what you think is best for the club’s future”, the petition says.
The images of Mbappe in Sardinia have circulated over the past few days, when Real Madrid’s weekend win over Espanyol delayed Barcelona’s chance to clinch the LaLiga title. That opportunity now shifts to this Sunday, when Real Madrid will travel to Barcelona after one of the most eventful weeks in their recent history.
