- Real Madrid confirmed that Federico Valverde suffered severe trauma to his left ankle during the 2-1 La Liga defeat
- Dean Huijsen was sent off after conceding a penalty against Giuliano Simeone, with Alex Grimaldo scoring from the spot before Jonathan David doubled Atletico Madrid’s lead a few minutes later
- Real Madrid TV strongly criticised the officiating, arguing that Cristian Romero and Kang-in Lee should have been dismissed in the first half
Valverde Injury Confirmed After Kang-in Lee Challenge
Real Madrid have confirmed that midfielder Federico Valverde sustained a serious injury following Kang-in Lee’s challenge during their 2-1 La Liga defeat against local rivals Atletico Madrid yesterday.
Lee’s tackle on Valverde was described as a dangerous studs-up challenge, but the Atletico player avoided punishment. Despite the incident, Valverde stayed on the pitch and completed the full 90 minutes.
After the match, Real Madrid issued a medical update stating that the midfielder had suffered significant damage to his left ankle.
🚨 LE COMITÉ TECHNIQUE DES ARBITRES EN ESPAGNE 🇪🇸 ESTIME QUE KANG-IN LEE 🇰🇷 AURAIT DU ÊTRE EXPULSÉ face au Real Madrid !! ❌
Le Coréen méritait le carton rouge pour son intervention sur Valverde 🇺🇾.
🗞️ @diarioas pic.twitter.com/Nz1k0I783q
— Actu Foot (@ActuFoot_) September 21, 2026
“Following tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with severe trauma to the left ankle, suffered in this afternoon’s match. Valverde will undergo further tests in the coming hour,” the club said.
Huijsen Red Card Proves A Major Turning Point
The defeat was described as Jose Mourinho’s side’s second LaLiga loss of the season. The decisive phase of the derby arrived when Dean Huijsen was sent off after conceding a penalty against Giuliano Simeone.
Alex Grimaldo converted the resulting spot-kick, and Jonathan David extended Atletico Madrid’s advantage a few minutes later. Real Madrid were left with ten men, while Atletico finished the contest with 11 players despite the disputed first-half incidents involving Cristian Romero and Kang-in Lee.
Real Madrid TV Targets Derby Officiating
The controversy continued after full-time as Real Madrid TV delivered a furious response to the 2-1 derby defeat. Much of its criticism centred on the refereeing decisions that shaped what was described as a chaotic Madrid derby.
The club’s broadcaster focused on the two first-half incidents involving Cristian Romero and Kang-in Lee, claiming Atletico could have been reduced to nine players before Huijsen’s dismissal altered the direction of the match.
Reflecting on the possible impact of those decisions, Real Madrid TV said,
“We don’t know what would have happened if Atletico had been reduced to nine players. I’m sure many Madrid fans are eager to get up and walk away from this competition.
“It makes you want to get up and walk away. Now they’ve tightened the screws a little more. Before, they tried to cover it up; now they don’t.
“Ortiz Arias was hanging out with the Barça players a few weeks ago, and now this,” they said.
Broadcaster Escalates Criticism Over Lee Tackle
Real Madrid TV’s criticism became even sharper when it addressed Kang-in Lee’s tackle on Valverde, the incident after which the midfielder was later diagnosed with severe trauma to the left ankle.
“It’s all sickening—they don’t care if the sh*t spills over into Tebas’s La Liga. What’s happened this season has already pushed everyone over the edge.
“All that’s missing is a directive allowing Madrid’s rivals to take the field armed with revolvers.
“When Kang-in Lee tackled Fede, and he stood up to protest, the referee addressed Valverde with a cocky, thuggish attitude,” they noted.
The broadcaster then returned to its wider argument that Real Madrid are being treated differently by officials.
“There’s a different standard when it comes to Madrid. They don’t let them compete. But these are the plans of La Liga and the Federation.
“Given how the refereeing has gone, I doubt they would have sent off an Atletico player in the other penalty area, the way they did with Huijsen. The football debate doesn’t make sense,” they concluded.
