Real Madrid call emergency meeting after fight leaves Valverde hospitalised

Real Madrid CF v Girona FC - LaLiga EA Sports

Real Madrid have been plunged into a state of internal warfare after Federico Valverde was reportedly hospitalised following a "very serious" confrontation with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni. The incident has forced head coach Alvaro Arbeloa to call an emergency meeting to address a dressing room that is spiralling out of control.

Chaos at Valdebebas as Valverde hospitalised

The tension within the Real Madrid camp reached a breaking point on Thursday when Valverde and Tchouameni were involved in a physical altercation. The bust-up, described as "much worse" than previous disagreements, follows a heated argument between the pair over a foul during Wednesday’s training session.

According to Marca, the situation escalated when Valverde reportedly refused to shake the Frenchman’s hand upon returning to the site of their previous spat. During a physical fracas in the dressing room after the session, Valverde suffered a cut from an accidental blow, which led to his decision to seek treatment in the emergency room. Sources within the club have described the nature of the fight as "very serious", marking a new low in the team's internal relations.

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Arbeloa calls emergency crisis talks

Faced with a squad that is rapidly fragmenting, Marca claims that Arbeloa has moved to hold an emergency crisis meeting. The atmosphere at Valdebebas is said to be toxic, with several players barely on speaking terms. It has been suggested that as many as six first-team stars have completely stopped engaging with Arbeloa as the manager struggles to maintain authority.

The timing could not be worse for the Spanish giants, who are currently preparing for the final El Clasico of the season. With Barcelona sitting 11 points clear at the top of La Liga, a defeat or draw on Sunday would see their fiercest rivals crowned champions. The objective of the meeting is to find a temporary truce, but the deep-seated divisions within the dressing room appear to be more than just a passing phase.

Mbappe at the heart of the storm

While Valverde and Tchouameni provided the physical flashpoint, Kylian Mbappe remains a central figure in the ongoing drama. Just hours after Valverde was taken to the hospital, footage emerged of the France captain driving away from the training ground appearing to be laughing and smiling. The optics have done little to help Mbappe's standing with his team-mates or the Madrid faithful.

Mbappe has faced intense scrutiny recently, particularly after being spotted on a yacht in Sardinia during a period where he was recovering from a muscular injury. A spokesperson for the striker released a statement defending his professionalism, stating that the criticism was "not corresponding to the reality and the work that Kylian does daily for the good of the team."

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El Clasico looms amidst toxicity

Real Madrid must now find a way to navigate a trip to the Camp Nou where the stakes are humiliatingly high. By beating Espanyol last weekend, they narrowly avoided the prospect of giving Barcelona a guard of honour this Sunday. However, if the current animosity is not resolved, Los Blancos risk a total collapse against a Barcelona side that is ready to celebrate a title triumph in front of their home fans.