The Competition Committee has been recommended a sentence for Real Madrid star Fede Valverde, after the Uruguayan struck his opponent Alex Baena in April.
According to Diario AS, the judge reviewing the case recommended that Valverde be banned for a total of five games for punching Baena after the match.
Valverde reportedly waited for Baena in the car park after Villarreal beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. As Baena came out towards the bus, Valverde punched him in the face while he was looking at his phone. Allegedly, Valverde was paying Baena back for comments about the Uruguayan’s family back during a match in January. That has been strenuously denied by Baena.
The decision has been made based on a review of statements from both players and the police report, with Baena having reported the matter to the authorities. The Competition Committee must now ratify the recommendation for the ban to come into place.
Valverde would miss Los Blancos first five La Liga games next season, against Athletic Club, Almeria, Celta Vigo, Getafe and Real Sociedad. The first three are away from home, the final two are at home.
For context, Robert Lewandowski was handed a three-game ban last season for making a gesture towards a referee as he was sent off, while Jose Luis Gaya was given a four-game ban for complaining about refereeing decisions in a post-match interview. The minimum ban Valverde could have received was four matches.
