According toAS, the Disciplinary Committee have chosen not to interfere with referee Munuera Montero’s official match report. Valverde was sent off in the 77th minute of the fixture against Atletico Madrid, with the scoreat 3-2, following a heavy challenge on Alex Baena. The official documentation justified the straight red card with the following full explanation: "Kicking an opponent, without being at a distance to be played, using excessive force." Because the tackle was low, the club felt they had a strong case, but the officials applied the minimum one-match sanction within the established range.