Real Madrid News
Real Madrid mulling over internal sanctions for Fede Valverde after Alex Baena incident
Federico Valverde is the biggest talking point in Real Madridd ever since his famous parking lot debacle with Alex Baena last weekend. The Uruguayan did not hold back his rage and punched the Villarreal player in the face, and the entire sequence was caught on camera.
The ethical viewpoint behind Valverde’s actions will be debated for a long time, but there are no doubts that the player’s aggression will see him face punishment on criminal grounds.
Some reports suggest a four to five-game layoff for the player while others state that he will not face a sporting sanction because the incident took place outside the field of play.
A final decision on his sanction is expected soon, especially with the anti-violence commission stepping in on Monday. Meanwhile, Baena has also filed a complaint against Valverde with the National Police.
According to reports from Cadena SER, Valverde’s problems do not end there. Real Madrid, who have not released any official statement of their stance on the Valverde-Baena case, see the midfielder’s assault to be against their internal code of conduct. Thus, the player could face an internal sanction from the Merengues.
A moment of impulsive action could thus be the undoing of what has been a stellar season for Real Madrid this season. A sporting ban looks certain, either from the central body or the internal sanction.
The 24-year-old has appeared in 27 of Los Blancos’ 28 La Liga games so far this season, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in the process. He has created five big chances and averages 1.4 key passes per game.
Valverde is expected to feature later tonight when Real Madrid take on Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League as confirmed by Carlo Ancelotti. With the events of Saturday fresh in his mind, it remains to be seen as to which version of the player steps onto the turf.
Real Madrid have two of the world’s brightest prospects on their wings. Vinicius Jr has already made his name as one of the generation’s best talents on the left wing while Rodrygo Goes is not far from doing the same on the other flank.
However, the duo no longer have a central striker to complement them for the season to come. With both Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz no longer in the squad, there Merengues have no options left to fill the number nine vacancy.
Harry Kane has quickly emerged as Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti’s favourite option to fill the void. However, reports earlier in the week claimed that Tottenham Hotspurs manager Daniel Levy wished to keep the striker in London and even quoted a €115 million price tag.
According to reports from MARCA, Los Blancos are preparing an opening offer worth €80 million for the English striker. Needless to say, the bid is not too far off from the Premier League side’s asking price.
Negotiations are expected to progress swiftly in the coming week. Given that not too much separates the two parties, one can expect Florentino Perez to come up with creative ways to bridge the gap.
Despite the relatively steep price tag, Real Madrid are in an advantageous position for two reasons.
For starters, Kane wishes to represent the club’s crest and reports even claim it is the only team for which he would leave the Premier League. Secondly, Daniel Levy does not wish to sell the player to direct competition in the Premier League, indirectly favouring the Merengues.
The 29-year-old has been Tottenham’s centre-piece since 2013 and has racked up goals for fun year after year. In the recently concluded season of the Premier League, he scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 38 appearances in addition to creating 14 big chances.
