The soap opera at Real Madrid has taken another twist, with parents of players now causing a headache for club president Florentino Perez.
An already disastrous season has entirely unravelled over the last few weeks, with explosive rows, physical altercations and a dressing room completely divided.
Antonio Rudiger ‘slapped’ Alvaro Carreras, Aurelian Tchouameni and Federico Valverde had ‘a very serious fight’ that resulted in the Uruguayan suffering a head injury and even star man Kylian Mbappe has come under fire.
Now, Perez and beleaguered boss Alvaro Arbeloa are having to deal with yet another issue, with parents of two players complaining about their sons’ lack of playing time, reports in Spain claim.
According to Mundo Deportivo via Cadena Cope, two unnamed stars who are ‘international players’ are at the centre of the argument.
Their parents have been pestering Perez repeatedly to demand their boys are given more opportunities.
Alvaro Arbeloa and Florentino Perez are dealing with yet another headache, with parents of two stars demanding their sons play more
The development, while relatively minor, speaks to a chaotic situation at Real in which player power, mismanagement and chaos is tearing the storied club apart.
On Thursday, Real announced they are taking disciplinary action after Tchouameni and Valverde’s shocking clash.
Reports had emerged that Valverde had been hospitalised after an escalation in hostilities, which began at the training ground on Wednesday.
That day, the two players were involved in a heated altercation stemming from a foul made during a training session, which continued on into the dressing room.
But Marca reports that a day later, tempers continued to run hot, with a fight involving the two players said to be ‘very serious’ by a number within the set-up.
Other team-mates of Tchouameni and Valverde are thought to have intervened before the latter was taken to hospital, with the incident described as ‘much worse’ than the earlier spat by the publication’s sources.
Real Madrid confirmed on Thursday evening that it has launched disciplinary action against the two players, while in a separate statement that Valverde will be unable to play for ’10 to 14 days’ after sustaining a head injury.
‘Real Madrid C. F. announces that, following the incidents that occurred this morning during the first team’s training session, it has decided to open disciplinary proceedings against our players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouameni,’ a statement read.
‘The club will provide updates on the resolutions of both proceedings once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed.’
Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde are facing disciplinary action after their clash
The second statement added: ‘After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma.
‘Valverde is at home in good condition and will need to rest for 10 to 14 days, as indicated by medical protocols for this diagnosis.’
Valverde later issued a lengthy statement denying either he or Tchouameni had punched each other despite confirming there had been another disagreement.
The Uruguayan claimed his head injury had been caused after he had ‘accidentally hit a table.’
The incident came just two weeks after Rudiger’s ‘slap’ on Carreras in a heated training ground bust-up.
Rudiger ‘lost his mind’ during the argument following their 1-1 draw with Real Betis.
And Mbappe has not escaped the spotlight either, with the 27-year-old reportedly involved in a heated argument with a member of manager Arbeloa’s staff.
Kylian Mbappe and his girlfriend Ester Exposito flew to Sardinia as Real Madrid played Espanyol last weekend
Mbappe spoke angrily and in insulting terms towards the assistant, who was acting as a referee during a training match.
The incident is understood to have contributed to a worsening of the mood between Mbappe and Madrid.
The injured star was also criticised for taking a holiday on a luxury yacht with his new girlfriend Ester Exposito, while his team-mates prepare to face Barcelona this weekend in El Clasico – in which they could lose the LaLiga title for a second season running.
More than 250,000 angry Madrid fans have signed a petition calling for Mbappe to leave the club in what has been a miserable two-season spell since he joined for free from Paris Saint-Germain. In that time, Mbappe and Madrid have failed to win a major trophy.
