Controversy ensued after Real Madrid’s defeat to Villarreal last night when Federico Valverde punched winger Alex Baena.

The Real Madrid star waited in the bus area and then punched Baena, according to Villarreal and the player’s entourage. The incident was linked to an earlier event in January, where Baena had apparently made a very ugly comment to Fede.

“Cry now that your son is not going to be born,” he had reportedly said three months ago. The player was referring to the baby that, at the time, thought will not be born.

The doctors had given the couple a very poor prognosis for the case, which pushed Valverde to the edge of a psychological breakdown. Later, however, the player and his partner found out the baby was healthy which also led to Valverde’s thumb-sucking celebration in the Club World Cup final.

Seeking retribution for Baena’s comments, Valverde waited in the car park area, after the game was over. Valverde had told Baena he would wait for him outside while stating that ‘family always comes first’.

According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, the referee for the game Javier Alberola Rojas did not write about the incident in his official report after the match.

Meanwhile, Baena’s entourage insists they do not know why Valverde hit the Villarreal midfielder. The player himself had taken to social media to state that the claims coming from the Real Madrid star’s camp were untrue.

Police were present at the scene and have taken statements from the involved parties. Meanwhile, Villarreal are understood to have the incident on video, but will not be pressing any charges.

The decision is now up to Baena on whether or not he wants to report the incident. If Villarreal or the midfielder were to report it to the RFEF Competitions Committee, it could lead to Valverde facing sporting sanctions.