BARCELONA, Spain (AP) – Real Madrid on Friday fined players Federico Valverde and Aurelien Choameny 500,000 euros (about $588,000) for misconduct. Argument during practice.
The hefty fine was imposed a day after a scuffle between midfielders occurred during the team’s training session. Valverde said in a social media post on Thursday that he was pulling no punches. However, Valverde hit his head on a table and suffered a minor cut that required a short stay in hospital.
Valverde initially called it a “pointless fight” with his teammates on social media, saying “everything was blown out of proportion.”
However, his employers deemed it a serious enough breach of team discipline to impose fines on both Valverde and Choameni that would jeopardize even the top footballer’s bank account. The €500,000 penalty reflects the reputational damage the club has suffered from the chaotic end to its disappointing season.
The 15-time European champion said in a statement that the disciplinary action had ended after both players had “fully reflected on what happened and apologized to each other” to the club.
Madrid also apologized to his team-mates, the coaching staff and the club’s supporters, adding that he had indicated that he was ready to accept any sanction the club deems “appropriate”.
Choameni returned to Madrid’s training on Friday, two days before the Clasico against Barcelona. If Madrid doesn’t win, Barcelona will lose. Became La Liga Champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and fans on social media.
“What happened during training this week is unacceptable,” Choameni wrote. “I say this because I think about the example we are expected to set for young people, both in football and in school.
“Most of all, we regret the image we have given the club.”
Valverde missed practice due to a head injury.
Both players world cup Choameni will play for France next month, while Valverde will play for Uruguay.
End of a chaotic season
The conflict between the two players, who have played side by side in Madrid’s midfield for many years, began after an altercation during an earlier training session this week. But on Thursday, the mood boiled over. Spanish media has been full of reports that the players had previously differed over the club’s decisions. Fire coach Xabi Alonso! Just a few months after joining the company.
This was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Alvaro Carreras has admitted that he was involved in a “minor” accident with a teammate. Spanish media reported that he and fellow defender Antonio Rudiger also got into a scuffle.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who was promoted from Madrid’s reserve team when Alonso was sacked in January, will face tough questions about what went wrong in the changing room when he holds a press conference ahead of the Clasico at Camp Nou on Saturday.
Madrid are facing a second successive season without a major trophy, amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Perez is considering bringing in manager Jose Mourinho to rebuild his struggling side.
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