Benfica goes on the counter-attack: lodges complaint against Real Madrid star

Benfica has filed a disciplinary complaint with UEFA over what the club considers an act of aggression by Fede Valverde against Samuel Dahl.

According to a report by Portuguese outlet A Bola, which has been confirmed by AS, Benfica has launched an official protest against an incident in the 83rd minute of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Real Madrid, when Valverde appeared to swing an arm at Dahl at a moment in the match when neither was challenging for the ball.

AS resident ref says Valverde deserved red

In the opinion of former FIFA official Eduardo Iturralde González, AS’s refereeing analyst, Valverde should have been sent off. “That’s a red card; he throws a punch for no reason,” Iturralde Gonzalez said. “Valverde should have been dismissed, even if it didn’t fully land,” he explained. The incident ended without any disciplinary action against the Madrid player.

Benfica complaint comes amid Prestianni racism probe

The Valverde-Dahl incident adds yet another layer of controversy to a tie already overshadowed by allegations that Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni racially abused Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.

Following a confrontation with Prestianni immediately after the Brazilian’s second-half goal for Madrid, Vinícius reported the alleged slur to referee François Letexier, accusing the Benfica player of calling him a “monkey”. Letexier then triggered the anti‑racism protocol, halting the game for several minutes.

Madrid later submitted evidence to UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, after conducting their own investigation into what took place between the two players.

Now, Benfica has also moved to lodge a complaint about another flashpoint in the match - one they believe should have resulted in a red card for Valverde for an act of aggression that went unpunished on the field and was not addressed through VAR review either.

Following Madrid’s 1-0 win in Tuesday’s first leg at the Estádio Da Luz, Los Blancos are due to host Benfica at the Estadio Bernabéu on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in the return leg of the teams’ knockout-round playoff.