Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde will not face any punishment for ‘toucҺiпg’ Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde will face no punishment for the alleged ɑssault on Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena after the Spanish football federation’s competition committee concluded its inquiry without charging him.
The 25-year-old was accused of striking Baena in the Bernabeu car park after a La Liga match between the two sides in April. However, a court halted a criminal probe into the case earlier this month, citing a lack of evidence.
Lawyers for Valverde and Real Madrid argued that because the criminal court ruled that the offense could not be established, the competition committee’s own investigation, which might have resulted in a five-game punishment for the Uruguayan international, should also be dismissed.
The committee has now accepted this reasoning, claiming that after the criminal court ruled out the offense, they had no choice but to follow suit, ignoring the content of the allegations.
If Valverde had been found guilty, he would have been barred from playing in the first five La Liga games of the 2023/24 season, which would have been against Athletic Club, Almeria, Celta Vigo, Getafe, and Real Sociedad.
The alleged incident occurred on April 8, following Villarreal’s unexpecтed 3-2 victory at the Bernabeu. According to sources, Valverde waited by Villarreal’s squad bus to confront Baena about statements made during the game, which resulted in the reported fighт.
In the midst of pregnancy problems, it was claimed that Baena made a statement to Valverde about his wife’s unborn child. This accusation was disputed by Baena and his representatives.
The following day, Villarreal published a statement claiming that Baena had been ɑssaulted and decided to report the incident to the police.
Valverde, who made 34 league appearances for Real Madrid last season and scored twice in the club’s pre-season friendly against AC Milan, will now be available for the team’s season opener on August 12 against Athletic Club.
