Federico Valverde (Real Madrid midfielder and Uruguay national team player) was left out of the September A-match squad.
Just days after being taken down in a tackle from Lee Kang-in (Atlético Madrid midfielder, Korea national team) in the Madrid derby held on the 20th.
How did a physical confrontation expand into a controversy that even pulled in the president leading Spanish professional football?
Three-line summary
1. Valverde diagnosed with Grade 3 ankle sprain from the derby tackle
2. South Korea match ruled out confirmed; Japan match remains uncertain
3. The refereeing controversy continues without a card being issued
Derby Tackle Leads to Grade 3 Ankle Sprain
Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid faced off in Round 7 of the 2026~2027 La Liga season at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on the 20th (local time). In this match, which Atlético won 2-1, Lee Kang-in attempted a tackle on Valverde, and Cristian Romero also created a scene by stepping on Jude Bellingham. Neither scene resulted in a card, and video review (VAR) did not intervene. According to Chosun Ilbo reporting, Valverde was subsequently diagnosed with a Grade 3 sprain of his left ankle on examination. This diagnosis falls on the most severe end of the scale indicating ligament damage severity.
Out for Korea Match, Japan Match Undecided
The Uruguay national team was scheduled to play consecutive friendly matches against South Korea and Japan during the September A-match period. According to Chosun Ilbo reporting, Valverde did not participate in the South Korea match due to his ankle injury. Chosun Ilbo reported that reactions from Japan also indicated uncertainty about Valverde joining the Japan match. Whether Valverde will join the Japan match remains undecided, as it will be determined based on the results of additional examinations.
Real Madrid and La Liga President Clash Over Refereeing Decision
Real Madrid posted an article on its official website titled "Poor refereeing decision decided the derby," and ran scenes of Lee Kang-in tackling Valverde and Romero tackling Bellingham side by side. According to OSEN reporting, this article was still on the homepage's front page even 48 hours after the match ended. Real argues that both scenes were grounds for expulsion. According to Sports Donga, Javier Tebas, president of La Liga (Spain's top-division professional football league), countered this by saying, "Again, you are constantly creating the eternal conspiracy theory you always do." However, President Tebas did acknowledge that Lee Kang-in's tackle was a scene that could have resulted in an expulsion. Real responded by saying, "The La Liga president is not the owner of the league but an administrator whom the clubs entrusted with operations," questioning neutrality, and President Tebas countered, "The competition belongs to no one."
Outwardly Blaming Refereeing, Internally Self-Examination
While Real strongly pushes back against the refereeing decision, different voices also emerge within the club. According to OSEN reporting, Real Madrid recognizes that its own performance in the derby was not good, and there is disagreement within the club about whether additional midfielders should have been recruited. Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé said in an interview with Spanish media AS, "We need to run harder and do more." During the international break, La Liga will take a three-week rest, and this period is set to be used for both Valverde's recovery and Real Madrid coach José Mourinho's reorganization of the team.
References
Tags #FedericoValverde #Valverde #LeeKang-in #RealMadrid #AtléticoMadrid #MadridDerby #LaLiga #JavierTebas #JoséMourinho #AnkleInjury #Sprain #Uruguay #AMatch #RefereeingControversy