Alvaro Arbeloa breaks silence on Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni bust-up

Real Madrid confirmed on Friday that both players were fined 500,000 euros following the incident at the club's Valdebebas training complex. Valverde required hospital treatment and stitches after suffering a cut to his head, although both players denied reports that Tchouameni punched the Uruguayan, insisting the injury came after a fall.

Arbeloa confirmed Tchouameni would be available for Sunday's trip to Camp Nou, while Valverde is expected to miss up to two weeks.

"The players have acknowledged their mistake, expressed regret, accepted the consequences and asked for forgiveness," Arbeloa said on Saturday. "For me, that's enough. I'm not going to burn them at the stake publicly because they don't deserve that."

The Madrid coach strongly rejected reports questioning the professionalism of his squad during a difficult season that could end without a major trophy for a second straight year.

"Valverde and Tchouameni represent what Real Madrid is," Arbeloa said. "I'm very proud of them and I won't allow this situation to be used to doubt their professionalism."

Arbeloa also dismissed reports of wider dressing-room tensions involving senior players and insisted claims of disrespect towards him were "completely false".

The former Liverpool defender admitted dressing-room confrontations were not uncommon in football, recalling an infamous incident involving Craig Bellamy and John Arne Riise during his time at Liverpool FC.

"I had a teammate who picked up a golf club and hit another player," Arbeloa said. "These situations shouldn't happen, but they have always happened everywhere."

Arbeloa said he was more upset by details of the clash leaking into the media.

"What happens in the Real Madrid dressing room should stay there," he said. "If things from inside are being leaked, that is a betrayal of Real Madrid."

Madrid trail Barcelona by 11 points in LaLiga, with Barca needing only a draw on Sunday to secure a second successive league title.

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