Mbappé Laughs Off Training Ground Crisis as Valverde Hospitalised After Real Madrid Dressing Room Brawl

Real Madrid are facing a significant internal crisis ahead of this weekend’s El Clásico after reports emerged of two separate physical altercations between senior players at the club’s Valdebebas training facility within the space of 48 hours.

According to reports, the trouble began on Wednesday when Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni “nearly came to blows” during a training session. The situation escalated further the following day when a dressing room confrontation turned physical, resulting in Valverde falling and striking his head on a table. The Uruguayan midfielder required an immediate hospital visit to receive stitches from the injury.

The severity of the situation prompted General Manager José Ángel Sánchez to convene an emergency “crisis meeting” at Valdebebas, with all players — including a returning Valverde — required to remain on-site. The gathering was described as a desperate attempt to restore order ahead of one of club football’s most high-profile fixtures.

Amidst the sombre backdrop of the day’s events, Kylian Mbappé drew additional criticism after he was filmed by Spanish television programme El Chiringuito driving away from the training facility while laughing. The footage, which circulated widely on social media, was perceived by many supporters as a display of indifference toward his injured teammate and the broader turmoil engulfing the squad.

The incident has added further pressure to Mbappé’s already strained relationship with the Madridista fanbase. The French forward had previously attracted criticism after he returned to Madrid via private jet just 12 minutes before the club’s match against Espanyol, having reportedly been on a “romantic getaway” to Sardinia with girlfriend Ester Expósito. An online petition calling for Mbappé to leave the club has, according to reports, surpassed 28 million signatures — an extraordinary figure that underscores the depth of frustration among a section of the club’s supporters.

Despite the off-field turbulence, fitness tests reportedly indicate that Mbappé may be available to face Barcelona in El Clásico. Valverde, however, is set to miss the fixture following his hospitalisation, as confirmed in an official Real Madrid announcement covered by Pulse Sports.

Mbappé joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired, ending years of speculation about his future. The move was widely regarded as one of the most anticipated transfers in the club’s history, yet his debut season produced mixed results, and the current campaign has been marked by a series of off-pitch controversies that have complicated his integration at the club.

The timing of the internal discord could hardly be worse for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. El Clásico carries significant weight in the context of the La Liga title race, and Real Madrid will now be forced to navigate the fixture without one of their key midfield figures. How the club manages the fallout from this week’s events — both on and off the pitch — is likely to define the trajectory of their season in its final weeks.