Atletico Unhappy with Valverde's Ban, Citing Favorable Treatment for Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid's management has voiced its displeasure over the decision to hand Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde a mere one-match ban. The sanction followed the derby between the two teams in La Liga's 29th round, which ended 3-2 in favor of the royal club. Atletico drew a parallel with Oihan Sancet's red card for Athletic Bilbao in their match against Barcelona (0-4), where a similar offense resulted in a two-match disqualification.

On their official "X" social media profile, Atletico's press office published an ironic message:

"Football fans can rest easy, knowing that jersey color and media hype don't influence the decisions of the sports justice system. The same committee. The same text in the report. Different criteria."

Federico Valverde received a direct red card in the 77th minute of the match for a blatant stomp on Alex Baena's foot.

In Sancet's case, who committed a foul from behind on Fermin Lopez, the disciplinary committee imposed a two-match ban. This sanction caused him to miss the game against Real Madrid.

After 29 rounds in La Liga, Real Madrid sits second in the standings with 69 points. Atletico is in fourth position with 57 points.