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Real Madrid's Aurélien Tchouaméni says he has "no problem" with his teammate Federico Valverde following their dressing room confrontation, claiming that "false stories" exaggerated the severity of the incident.
Back in May, both players were handed €500k ($580k) fines each by the club after a physical altercation at Valdebebas, which left Valverde needing hospital attention for a head injury.
The episode—occurring just before the Clásico loss that sealed Barcelona's La Liga title—was widely regarded as the lowest point of Real Madrid's season, during which the club failed to claim a single piece of silverware and dismissed Xabi Alonso fewer than six months after bringing him on board.
Valverde released a public statement apologizing for his role in what he called a "disagreement," denying that any punches were exchanged while acknowledging he had sustained "a small cut" after slipping and striking his head against a table.
'False Stories Bothered Me'—Tchouaméni
In an interview with French outlet L'Equipe, Tchouaméni has moved to draw a line under the matter, while maintaining that the true details of the story were distorted and sensationalized.
He stated: "What bothered me were the false stories that emerged about what actually happened. I can't control that. The most important thing is that we're all fine and the atmosphere in the dressing room is calm.
"A lesson learned? That no matter what happens in your life, the problem is never as big as you think it is. Like everything else, today they're talking about this, tomorrow they'll be talking about something else. You just have to get through those two or three days when there's a frenzy.
"This story escalated to such a degree that for the first two or three days it felt like it would never blow over. But in reality, after two or three days, someone says something outrageous or another story surfaces and everyone moves on."
The French midfielder also confirmed that he has since reconciled with Valverde.
"You have to understand: there's no problem," he added. "A lot of things happen in a dressing room. We shook hands when he came back and carried on working together."
One Problem Fewer for Mourinho
If the rift between Tchouaméni and Valverde is truly resolved, it will be one less issue for incoming manager José Mourinho to address this summer as he works to rebuild a sense of cohesion within the Spanish capital club.
A key reason behind Mourinho's return 13 years after his departure from Real Madrid was his reputation for commanding authority over a dressing room.
In Florentino Pérez's view, Mourinho possesses the strength of character needed to unite a fractured squad and rein in unchecked egos. Critics, however, will contend that Mourinho's man-management approach has historically contributed to greater dressing room unrest at many of his former clubs.
Both Tchouaméni and Valverde are expected to feature prominently for Madrid in the upcoming season, with the latter set to take over the captain's armband from the outgoing Dani Carvajal.
Tchouaméni, for his part, has attracted transfer interest from Manchester United, but appears likely to remain at the Bernabéu as the club's top defensive midfield option.