Federico Valverde is alleged to have punched Villarreal’s Alex Baena in the car park after Real Madrid’s defeat on Saturday night
After Real Madrid’s 3-2 defeat to Villarreal it is alleged that Federico Valverde punched Baena in the bus parking area. The pair had a heated exchange on the pitch, with Valverde telling Baena he would meet him after the game, As detailed by ESPN.
The Uruguayan midfielder reacted angrily to alleged derogatory remarks that Baena had made about his unborn child, sources said.
Valverde waited by the Villarreal team bus in the stadium’s parking lot after the match to confront Baena and asked him to repeat what he claimed had been said on the pitch.
Valverde’s partner Mina Bonino revealed on social media in February that the couple had believed they had lost their child, before further tests revealed that the pregnancy was in fact healthy.
Sources told ESPN that Real Madrid and Valverde say Baena first made the comments when the two teams met in the Copa del Rey on Jan. 19 — a game that both players started, with Madrid coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 — saying “cry, because your child won’t be born.”
Baena has commented on the incident, insisting he did not previously insult Valverde. On Instagram he posted: “Very happy with the impressive victory of the team on a stage like the Santiago Bernabeu, but at the same time very sad about the aggression I suffered after the match and surprised by what is being said about my person. It is totally false that I said that!”
Villarreal have spoken to Spanish police about possible courses of action, sources said, and Baena will decide if he wants to press charges.