Benfica hit back at Real Madrid with UEFA complaint against Federico Valverde for ‘violent conduct’

After dismissing Vinicius Junior’s claims, Benfica decided to hit Real Madrid back filling a complaint to UEFA, accusing star Federico Valverde for “violent conduct.”

Benfica have shown no signs of slowing down after their UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, a match in which controversy surrounding the alleged racial abuse of Vinicius Junior took center stage. In addition to dismissing the allegations, the Portuguese club has filed a complaint with UEFA targeting Federico Valverde for violent conduct.

Tuesday’s playoff game at Estádio da Luz was marked by several controversial moments, along with a disputed refereeing performance from François Letexier and the VAR team. One of those incidents occurred late in the match and involved Valverde.

In the 83rd minute, Valverde chased a long ball while being closely marked by left back Samuel Dahl. As the Swedish defender grabbed him, the Real Madrid midfielder, attempting to break free, swung his right arm toward Dahl’s face, making contact but not striking him cleanly.

After the contact, Dahl fell to the ground and a foul was called against Valverde. However, what raised further questions was that the Uruguayan midfielder faced no additional punishment, not even a yellow card, and VAR did not review the incident.

Following the episode, Portuguese outlet A Bola reported that Benfica decided to submit a disciplinary complaint to UEFA against Federico Valverde. The filing alleges violent conduct related to the incident with Dahl, arguing that his intent was not to play the ball but to strike the defender.

Because Valverde went unpunished during the match, the complaint was submitted so UEFA’s Disciplinary Committee can review the situation. Benfica now hope the body can act in time for the second leg of the Champions League playoff, scheduled for Wednesday, February 25, at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Mourinho and the strong complaints over refereeing

José Mourinho was also a central figure in the Champions League clash, addressing his role in the incident involving Vinicius and Gianluca Prestianni. During the match, he became a focal point after being sent off in the 86th minute with two quick yellow cards for protesting to Letexier over what he felt was a missed second booking for Vinicius following a foul near the box on Richard Rios.

In his postgame press conference, Mourinho strongly criticized the French official for not booking Aurélien Tchouaméni, Álvaro Carreras and Dean Huijsen — players who would have been suspended for the second leg if they had received yellow cards: “There’s nothing to explain, it’s all very obvious: I have 1,400 matches, it’s simple — he (Letexier) had a little note that said Carreras, Tchouaméni, Huijsen: if they get a yellow card they can’t play. And someone told him they couldn’t be booked.“

Mourinho then detailed the moments he believed warranted bookings for Madrid players. “Carreras made a grotesque dive and didn’t get a yellow, Tchouaméni committed 10 fouls and didn’t get a yellow. The only thing I told him was: I stated a fact, then with his arrogance he sent me off. There’s no crisis,” he stated.