Valverde receives his red card suspension

There is a punishment: a one-match suspension for Valverde. It’s official. The Competition Committee has not interfered with Munuera Montero’s report and has applied the minimum sanction within the relevant category.

A familiar modus operandi. And it means only a brief pause for the player: he will miss the trip to Mallorca but will be available against Girona. A consequence of the suspension and the way the schedule falls. A break. A rest. On the immediate horizon, Bayern.

It is a controversial decision, with many angles to consider. But two things are certain: the tackle is hard, which works against him, and it is very low, which works in his favour. From there, interpretation takes over. Could he have played the ball? That is the million-dollar question. And that was Real Madrid’s argument: Valverde tried to play the ball and simply arrived late. In fact, the club also pointed out what they see as a flaw in the wording of the referee’s report. The phrase “without being within playing distance” is, in their view, incorrect.

The defence did not prosper before the Competition Committee. They chose not to interfere with Munuera Montero’s report. He was the referee and made his judgement. Whether Valverde could reach the ball or not remains a matter of interpretation, and in the absence of clear evidence a sanction cannot be overturned.

That has been the procedure. From there, the Committee placed the action within the relevant disciplinary category and applied the minimum sanction available within that range: one match.

Valverde is currently with Uruguay, where he will play two friendlies: England at Wembley and Algeria in Turin. When he returns, his focus will turn to the first leg against Bayern. Because he will not be available for the Easter match against Mallorca. That will be his one-match suspension for the challenge on Baena. He will not play in La Liga again until 10 April, against Girona.

The incident occurred in the 77th minute of the derby, with the score at 3–2. Baena had the ball under control when Valverde delivered a hard kick. At that moment, Álex had just nudged the ball away from the area, turning backwards. This raises the key question: did Valverde reach the ball before it was moved away, or not?

Munuera Montero was only a few metres away and quickly decided it was a red card. In his report he wrote: “Kicking an opponent, not within playing distance, using excessive force.” His interpretation was clear: Valverde deliberately and forcefully struck Baena. Hence the dismissal. A judgement based on an incident open to interpretation.

The consequence is a significant blow. Arbeloa loses the outfield player with the most minutes in the squad this season: 3,528. Fede is ahead of Vinicius (3,427 minutes) and Tchouameni (3,379), and only slightly behind Courtois (3,645). The Hawk was also in excellent form, with six goals in his last five matches. He is four away from matching his personal best of 12, set in the 2022–23 season, the one made famous by Ancelotti’s remark about his coaching licence.

Valverde had started 40 of the team’s 45 matches this season and had appeared in 42. But he will miss the next one. That is the punishment for his challenge on Baena. It is now official.

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