Jose Mourinho has opened up on the relationship between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, insisting he has not been forced to intervene in what transpire between both players.
Tchouameni and Valverde made headline last season as Madrid struggled for form on the pitch. The duo was at the centre of two separate altercations in May, one of which resulted in Valverde being hospitalised for a head injury.
The summer saw both players represent their country at the World Cup.
A Barcelona fan holds a banner depicting the clash between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Both players are now back together, with Valverde now the club captain following Dani Carvajal’s exit while Tchouameni extended his contract at the club.
Speaking ahead of the clash with Rayo Vallecano, Mourinho expressed his delight with the current unity. ‘Look, I haven’t done anything. They’ve done everything themselves. The empathy within the group today, the friendship, the way they work together, the frustration when they go off because nobody wants to be substituted, but still supporting their teammates, the player who comes on in the final minute… the group is fantastic.’
Tchouameni made his first appearance of the season in Madrid’s Champions League victory over Inter Milan.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid look on during a LaLiga match (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The Frenchman replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold late in the game and was seen embracing Valverde after the final whistle, a move that means all is well in their relationship.
Mourinho admitted he was prepared to step in if the tension persisted after their international commitments, but he found a squad that had already moved on. ‘If I knew nothing, if I walked into the dressing room without knowing anything about the situation, I’d think they were great friends. When they came back from the World Cup, I was obviously paying attention to see whether I needed to act as a peacekeeper, but I didn’t have to do anything,’ Mourinho noted during his press conference.
Mourinho will now be eager to see his squad unite all through the season as they aim to win something, having gone trophyless in the last two season.
