Real Madrid may have won the Madrid derby on Sunday, but they lost Fede Valverde to suspension.
The Uruguayan midfielder was sent off at the Bernabeu after a hard tackle on Atletico Madrid’s Alex Baena, putting him at risk of a suspension.
The Technical Referees Committee (CTA) has informed the Spanish Football Federation that referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero’s decision was correct, leaving the matter to the Competition Committee to decide on Valverde’s punishment.
Today, Wednesday, the decision has been made, and it is a decision that will please Real Madrid fans. According to Diario AS, Valverde has been suspended for one match by the Committee.
His action, considered a dangerous tackle, could have resulted in a two-match suspension, but it was decided to apply the minimum punishment.
Real Madrid had appealed against Valverde’s punishment, claiming that he had attempted to play the ball but had mistimed the tackle. However, the Competition Committee disagreed and upheld referee Munuera Montero’s interpretation.
This decision means that Valverde will miss Real Madrid’s first match after the international break, against Mallorca at Son Moix.
However, he will be available for the match against Girona next week, although that match falls between the two Champions League quarter-final legs against Bayern Munich, meaning he could be rested to conserve energy.
