'A betrayal and an act of disloyalty to this badge’ - Arbeloa slams mole for leaking dressing room crisis

Reports recently surfaced detailing a heated confrontation between Valverde and Tchouameni during a training session. 

The incident allegedly resulted in a gash for Valverde that got him rushed to the hospital and led to internal disciplinary measures from the club. 

Arbeloa addressed the situation in a press conference, praising the club's handling of the matter but directing his anger at the source of the leak.

Ahead of El Clásico, Arbeloa expressed his fury that a private team matter was made public. The former Real Madrid defender emphasised that such a breach of trust violates the sanctity of the dressing room. 

"I want to say two things," Arbeloa stated, as quoted by Marca. "First, I am very proud of the decisiveness, speed, and transparency with which the club has acted. 

“Secondly, the players have acknowledged their mistake, expressing their regret and asking for forgiveness. For me, that is enough."

Arbeloa refused to publicly condemn the players involved, instead shouldering the responsibility for the team's frustrations. "I am not going to burn them at a public stake because they do not deserve it," he continued. 

"I am the first person responsible for the fact that we surely have not been up to standard this season. It is clear that frustration and anger can lead you into situations you do not want. If you want to blame someone, here I am."

However, his tone shifted when discussing the leak itself. "For things that happen in the dressing room to be leaked seems to me a betrayal and an act of disloyalty to this badge," he declared.

"I had a teammate who picked up a golf club and hit another with it," Arbeloa revealed. "What happens in the Real Madrid dressing room should stay in the Real Madrid dressing room, and that is what hurts me the most."

He added, "These are situations that have always happened, but I am not justifying it, far from it. It was an incident, and we were unlucky that Fede ended up with a gash. They have apologised, and from there on, we have to think about the match."

Despite the controversy and reported fines, Arbeloa confirmed that neither player would face sporting sanctions like being dropped from the squad.