Barcelona defender Eric Garcia has revealed that the entire squad was taken aback by reports of a physical altercation between Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde just before El Clasico. Speaking after Barcelona’s 2-0 victory that sealed the LaLiga title, Garcia admitted the news was unexpected but refused to elaborate on Madrid’s internal issues.
The incident, which reportedly occurred during a Real Madrid training session, saw Valverde sustain a head injury that ruled him out of the match. Tchouameni, however, started under interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Goals from Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres gave Barcelona a comfortable win, securing their 29th league championship in front of their own fans.
When asked about the squad’s reaction to the turmoil at their rivals, Garcia said, “Well, obviously, it came as a surprise to the whole team, but anyway, today we’ll enjoy the victory and let them get on with what they have to do.”
The 25-year-old, who came through Barcelona’s La Masia academy before a stint at Manchester City, has now won three LaLiga titles since returning to the Catalan club in 2021. His comments reflect a focus on Barcelona’s success rather than getting drawn into Real Madrid’s problems.