Real Madrid will appeal against Fede Valverde’s red card in Sunday’s Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid. Valverde tackled Alex Baena in what the club believed should have been a standard yellow card, with referee Munuela Montero sending off the Uruguayan midfielder for previous contact with an Atletico player.
The rift between the two players began in early 2023, when a violent clash broke out in the parking lot of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, with Valverde reportedly punching Baena, who was playing for Villarreal at the time. Valverde’s camp claimed the attack was triggered by Baena’s cruel taunts about Valverde’s wife’s high-risk pregnancy – specifically, “Cry now, your son will not be born” – a charge Baena has typically vehemently denied.
Regardless, Real Madrid’s appeal is likely to be unsuccessful, meaning Valverde will almost certainly miss the team’s next two La Liga games.
