Spanish referees support Federico Valverde’s red card for ‘serious foul play’
The refereeing committee of Spain has supported the decision to issue a red card to Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde during the club’s 3-2 derby victory against Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
Referee José Luis Munuera dismissed Valverde in the 77th minute of the LaLiga match at the Bernabéu, issuing a straight red for a tackle on Atlético’s Álex Baena, which left Madrid to defend a slim one-goal advantage with 10 players.
In their weekly video analysis of officiating decisions released on Tuesday, the CTA stated that Munuera’s ruling — along with the Video Assistant Referee’s choice not to intervene — was “appropriate.”
“In this incident, the Real Madrid player contested for the ball in midfield,” a CTA representative explained. “[Valverde] executed a challenge from behind, arriving late, making contact with the ankle and lacking a genuine opportunity to play the ball.
“The referee issued a straight red card, interpreting that he kicked the opponent, unable to play the ball, and applying excessive force. The VAR room, after reviewing footage from multiple angles, confirmed that the point of contact, the nature of the action, and the intensity were consistent with serious foul play.
“It opted not to intervene, concluding that there was no clear and obvious error in the on-field decision. For the CTA, the choices made on the field and in the VAR room were appropriate.”
Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa remarked after the match that he disagreed with Munuera’s ruling, despite the referee’s attempt to provide him with an explanation on the sidelines.
“I had a different perspective than José Luis,” Arbeloa stated. “He mentioned it was excessive force. I did not perceive it that way. Such challenges occur frequently, and there was no intent to harm [Baena]. However, I appreciate his explanation.”
The 3-2 comeback victory over city rivals Atleti helped maintain a four-point gap for Arbeloa’s team behind Barcelona in LaLiga.
