In a statement as direct as it was disturbing, Federico Valverde reportedly expressed his deep discomfort with a teammate in the Madrid midfield: “He can’t even pass me properly… I can’t go on like this.” These words, reported by a source close to the dressing room, directly target Aurélien Tchouaméni, who recently returned from injury.

The French midfielder had a difficult night against Athletic Bilbao. Despite Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory, secured in the dying seconds thanks to a decisive goal from Valverde, tensions were palpable on the pitch. Tchouaméni, back after several weeks of absence, repeatedly lost the ball in sensitive areas and committed several avoidable fouls that put his team in danger.

Although he tried to make up for it with a few interventions in the second half, his lack of synchronization with Valverde was glaring. On several occasions, the two midfielders seemed completely out of sync, as if they were operating in two different tactical realities.

“It’s not the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last if nothing changes,” another dressing room official reportedly confided. Some even suggest an emotional rift between the two players, exacerbated by the increasing pressure of the schedule and the recent Champions League elimination against Arsenal.

The question now is: can Ancelotti mend this rift? Or will Real Madrid have to choose between two pillars of their midfield?