Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has hit out at leaks about a dressing room brawl between Aurélien Tchouamen and Federico Valverde.
He defended both players after they apologised for the incident in training and insisted the team remains united.
Reports revealed a heated training clash between Valverde and Tchouameni, which reportedly left Valverde with a gash on his face and led to disciplinary action from the club.
Arbeloa addressed the issue in a press conference, praising the club's quick response but expressing anger at the details being leaked to the media.
He considered this breach to be serious and contrary to the club's values, insisting that internal matters should remain within the dressing room.
Arbeloa harshly criticized those who allowed the information to become public.
"First of all, I am very proud of the determination, speed and transparency with which the club has acted," he said, according to Marca.
"On the other hand, the players have admitted their mistake, expressed regret and apologized. For me, that is enough. What I will not do is publicly 'burn' them, because they do not deserve it," he added.
He also added that he takes responsibility for the team's form this season and that frustration can lead to such situations.
"I am the first responsible that perhaps we have not been at the right level this season. It is clear that frustration can lead you to situations you do not want. Now we have to focus on the match. If you want to blame someone, here I am," said the Spaniard.
Speaking about the leak, he was even harsher.
"For me, for things that happen in the dressing room to be in the media is a betrayal of this club," Arbeloa said.
Arbeloa put the incident in context, saying that in elite football such tensions happen from time to time, and recalled an episode from his playing career where an altercation had gone even further physically.
"These are situations that have always happened, but I'm not justifying them. It was an incident and we were unlucky that Fede got injured. They have apologized and now we have to think about the game," he concluded./Express newspaper/
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