Benfica has filed an official complaint with UEFA against Real Madrid star Fede Valverde for what the Portuguese club calls an assault committed by the Uruguayan during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory at the Estádio da Luz in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 playoff.
The Real Madrid-Benfica match witnessed controversial events after Vinicius Junior accused Gianluca Brestiani of racially abusing him, prompting UEFA to launch a full investigation into the incident, with major bodies such as FIFA and the Portuguese government also becoming involved.
It appears that Benfica’s management, which has publicly supported Brestiani and denied the racism accusation against him, has decided to retaliate against Real Madrid.
According to the newspaper A Bola, Benfica filed a complaint with UEFA regarding Valverde’s assault on Samuel Dahl in a clear incident, yet the referee did not issue a yellow or red card to Real Madrid’s third captain.
The Portuguese club claims that the Uruguayan player struck Dal in the 83rd minute, even though there was no challenge for the ball. Therefore, he should face disciplinary action even if he wasn’t shown a red card during the match.
Benfica coach José Mourinho criticized the refereeing during the game, arguing that the referee deliberately avoided cautioning Real Madrid players who were at risk of suspension and refused to send off several players who clearly needed to be sent off. This, he believes, led to Mourinho himself receiving a red card.
