Real Madrid News
Valverde-Baena incident not mentioned in referee’s official match report
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.
Even though Fran Garcia will be arriving to bolster the left-back slot, MARCA (h/t Madrid Xtra) is reporting that Real Madrid’s interest in Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies is ‘serious’.
The left-back position emerged as a major issue for Real Madrid during the 2022/23 season as Ferland Mendy spent a large chunk of the campaign out injured. With David Alaba reluctant to reprise the role, manager Carlo Ancelotti had to turn to Nacho and Eduardo Camavinga as options.
Heading into the new season, Real Madrid wish to address this issue. The plan is to offload Ferland Mendy or even possibly use him as a makeweight in the Harry Kane operation.
And, Davies is being targeted to replace the Frenchman. The Canadian international, whose current market value is €70 million, has developed into one of the most reliable left-backs in Europe during his time at Bayern Munich.
Despite having had to deal with injuries, Davies finished the 2022/23 season with a return of three goals and eight assists from 38 matches across all competitions.
The possibility of the 22-year-old pairing up with Vinicius Jr on Real Madrid’s left flank does seem very appealing. And, that is why, Los Blancos are understood to be willing to pay what it takes to sign the Bayern Munich star.
However, the Bavarians have no interest in selling Davies at this moment. He still has two years left on his contract with the German champions which does give them an upper hand.
But if Davies decides not to hold talks over a renewal and pushes for an exit, it could open the door for a possible move from Real Madrid. Even then, Bayern Munich could hold for a steep asking price, but the Merengues could be willing to go the extra mile in their efforts to sign Davies.
