Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hold emergency meeting as another bust-up leads to hospital visit for a player
Tension inside the Real Madrid dressing room has not eased following yesterday’s altercation between Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. In fact, the atmosphere has worsened significantly over the past few hours.
Indeed, according to MARCA, a new incident described internally as “very serious” has taken place inside the dressing room, forcing an emergency meeting and leading the club to consider taking action.
Valverde and Tchouameni at it again
The latest episode, again involving Valverde and Tchouameni, has been described internally as “very serious” by several figures close to the dressing room.
The argument escalated immediately and required the intervention of several members of the squad. It ultimately ended with the Uruguayan midfielder needing hospital treatment.
Far from being viewed as an isolated incident, the confrontation is said to confirm the clear deterioration in internal relations during a particularly sensitive period for the team. The latest conflict was “much worse” than the one that took place yesterday at Valdebebas.
Sources inside the dressing room told MARCA that Valverde refused to shake Tchouameni’s hand in the morning, creating a hostile atmosphere throughout the session before the situation escalated into a serious fight in the dressing room after training.
During the confrontation between the two players, and reportedly not caused intentionally by Tchouameni, Valverde suffered a heavy blow that opened a cut and forced him to go to hospital.
The seriousness of the incident led to an emergency meeting inside the dressing room just minutes after the altercation, with Jose Angel Sanchez personally attending.
Not a single player left the training complex during what has been described as an unprecedented crisis meeting.
The objective was to put an end to the growing problems and attempt to stop an escalation of tension that is causing serious concern at the highest levels of the club.
At present, the atmosphere at Real Madrid is described as one of maximum tension, with nerves, internal division and a growing feeling that the situation is far from being resolved.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho’s decision to substitute Real Madrid’s best player vs Real Betis sparks confusion
Arda Guler’s substitution in Real Madrid’s 0-1 defeat to Real Betis looked strange from the outside, and the numbers make the decision even harder to understand.
According to AS, the Turkish international was Real Madrid’s leading chance-creator at La Cartuja, producing seven opportunities for his teammates.
He was also the second-best outfield player for ball recoveries, winning possession back five times.
Guler was replaced in the 65th minute by summer signing Yan Diomande, despite having been arguably Madrid’s most influential player in attack.
His defensive work was equally important, leaving Mourinho with a decision that has inevitably attracted attention.
In fact, his work rate in defence and his attacking flair were something Real Madrid’s finishers failed to capitalise on.
Mourinho explains why Guler had to come off
Mourinho acknowledged that removing Guler was difficult, although he believed the possibility of a second yellow card justified the decision.
The midfielder had been booked earlier in the game and Mourinho feared Betis players would deliberately target him after the break.
“It’s difficult to substitute Arda, yes, very difficult. He was playing very well. The Betis players are smarter, the Madrid players are more innocent, more naive.
“They get up immediately after fouls. I don’t know how he finished the first half with a yellow card, when he played so much and only committed one minor foul.
“Afterwards, they were going to try to catch him, and I had a feeling they could give him a second yellow,” explained the manager after the game.
Guler’s substitutions are becoming a pattern
The Betis match was not the first occasion on which Guler was withdrawn while performing strongly.
Against Espanyol, he was substituted after an hour while Madrid were chasing a winner, despite providing the assist for Jude Bellingham.
He had also been one of the team’s best performers throughout pre-season.
But substituting Guler was then, and it was also against Betis, the easiest substitution.
Guler currently occupies the false right-wing role and remains a regular starter, but Diomande’s arrival adds competition, particularly given the significant fee paid for the new signing.
However, the Turk is seizing every opportunity, even when his teammates struggle to keep up, giving Mourinho even more of a selection headache.
