Real Madrid will appeal the straight red card given to Fede Valverde by referee Munuela Montero in the closing stages of Sunday’s Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabéu. Although this is a “mandatory” appeal, the club itself does not have much faith in it, given that it is a matter of evaluation on the part of the Andalusian referee. One of the team’s most in-form players, a player who enjoys the moment of scoring a spectacular goal, could be handed a two-game ban.
Real Madrid understand that the referee’s decision was conditional on the relationship between Fede and Baena, an incident that took place in the Bernabéu parking lot, in which the then-Villarreal player accused the Madrid player of being aggressive in response to an earlier provocation, which he could not prove. For the club, the fact that the tackle was on Baena determined the color of the card, which is shown in Real Madrid’s number 8. “If the same tackle had been on Koke, it would have been a 100% yellow card,” they said in the Whites’ dressing room, understanding that the referee’s decision was biased by precedent between the two players involved in the act.
everything remains the same
Otherwise, it was just another day at the Madrid office as far as refereeing matters are concerned. The no penalty in favor of Rayo at the Camp Nou and the red card for Fede at the Bernabéu would add to the idea already in place in Madrid years ago that Spain’s refereeing ecosystem is not necessarily favorable to their interests.
In any case, the general mood is one of optimism given the team’s progress in recent matches and on that basis they intend to fight to the end in both La Liga and the Champions League. The recovery of key players such as Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and soon Eder Militão is seen as a key factor in boosting the team’s performance, which has continued to improve in recent weeks under managers Vinicius Junior and Fede Valverde, who could face a two-match suspension in the La Liga title clash.
