"We congratulate Real Madrid for continuing to make history by proving that 100% of the world's medical community was wrong." Atletico published this sarcastic post on the club's official X page on 9/10, reigniting the controversy surrounding Valverde in the Madrid derby on 20/9.

Atletico Madrid's X post, mocking Real Madrid, on 9/10/2026. *Photo: X/Atletico Madrid*

Along with the post, Atletico also included hashtags: "miraculous recovery", "medical report", "grade three sprain", and especially "Historia que tu hiciste" (history that you made yourself) – a line from Real's traditional anthem "Hala Madrid... y nada mas".

Seventeen days earlier, the Santiago Bernabeu club announced that the Uruguayan midfielder suffered a grade three ankle sprain due to a dangerous tackle by Lee Kang-in during the Madrid derby just before the FIFA Days break. This was one of two incidents that Real, and coach Jose Mourinho in particular, argued after the match warranted a direct red card for the opponent.

At the time, Spanish newspapers like El Pais and AS predicted this type of injury typically required about 5 to 6 weeks, or sometimes over two months, for a full recovery. FutbolFantasy, a portal for fans of the La Liga Fantasy game designed by the Spanish national championship organizers (similar to the English Premier League Fantasy), even cited a medical study back then.

According to the study, the average recovery time for a grade three ankle sprain in professional players is 41,6 days. Even with accelerated rehabilitation methods, the minimum time is about 4,7 weeks, compared to 7,7 weeks for conventional treatments.

Lee Kang-in's unpunished foul on Fede Valverde during the Madrid derby at Metropolitano Stadium, Madrid, Spain, on 20/9/2026. *Photo: La Liga*

However, on 9/10, Valverde completed a full training session with his teammates at the Valdebebas training center and was named in "Los Blancos'" squad for the match against Villarreal in La Liga's 8th round.

Previously, Real had kept information about Valverde's return date entirely confidential until the squad announcement for the Villarreal match. The Spanish Royal Club only issued two press releases regarding the 28-year-old midfielder's condition.

In the first announcement immediately after the derby, they stated he had a "serious injury to his left ankle." Two days later, on 22/9, after extensive tests, Real provided a specific diagnosis of a "grade three sprain of the left ankle" and "awaiting further monitoring."

In the match on 20/9, where Real lost 1-2 at Metropolitano Stadium, Valverde endured a dangerous tackle from Lee Kang-in in the first half. That half also saw a studs-up tackle by center-back Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham. These two incidents fueled Real's post-match criticism of the referee. As for Valverde, despite being in pain after the tackle, he played the full 90 minutes, and only after the match did serious injury concerns arise.

From Atletico's current perspective, however, these doubts were unfounded. Therefore, the red and white striped club seized the opportunity to mock their Madrid city rivals.

Compiled by Ha Phuong