Real Madrid's Federico Valverde reportedly punches Villareal player after match over taunt about unborn child
Bad blood from a Real Madrid-Villareal match reportedly extended after the final whistle, and for a very serious reason.
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde punched Villareal winger Álex Baena after waiting for him by the Villareal team bus in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium parking lot on Saturday, according to ESPN.
The history behind the conflict reportedly goes back to January, when the 21-year-old Baena reportedly said something to Valverde that translates to "cry, because your child won't be born" during a Copa del Rey game between the two teams Jan. 19.
The context was revealed in February, when Valverde's partner Mina Bonino reportedly posted on social media that the couple believed they had lost an unborn child in pregnancy. Further testing apparently revealed the pregnancy to still be healthy, but Baena would not have known that in the Copa del Rey match.
For extremely understandable reasons, Valverde, 24, was reportedly angry about the comments and confronted Baena on Saturday after a 3-2 Villareal win to ask him to repeat what was allegedly said on the field, which ultimately resulted in the punch.
Villareal and Baena reportedly did not confirm the claim behind Valverde's punch, but said they believed his actions to be unacceptable. The club has reportedly spoken to Spanish police about possible courses of action, while Baena will decide if he wants to press charges.
Villareal team delegate Xisco Nadal reacted by tweeting "Fede valverde macarra y cobarde," which roughly translates to him saying Valverde is "thuggish and cowardly," but deleted the tweet after significant blowback.
Valverde, who is Uruguayan, joined Real Madrid in 2017 and has since become a rising star for Los Blancos. Baena, a Villareal youth product, is in his first season as a regular for the top-flight club.
