In a recent La Liga match against Real Sociedad, Federico Valverde, the Uruguayan midfielder and captain of Real Madrid, displayed his frustration by kicking a drinks fridge moments after being substituted. This incident occurred at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium during the 24th round of the Spanish football league. Valverde had scored one of his characteristic powerful goals in the match, but was substituted by coach Álvaro Arbeloa in the 73rd minute for Moroccan star Ibrahim Díaz. The footage of Valverde's outburst highlights the high emotions often present in competitive sports.

To address the controversy surrounding his reaction, Valverde later shared a humorous take on the incident via his Instagram account, joking about his feelings of regret for not shooting the ball directly at the goal. Additionally, Real Madrid's official account on X shared a video of Valverde communicating with fans after the match, which perhaps aimed to further connect with the supporters and mitigate any negative perceptions following his outburst.

Valverde's frustration is not isolated, as reports from Spanish media indicated that several players were unhappy with former coach Xabi Alonso's tactical decisions on the field. However, Valverde publicly denied these claims at the time. On the sporting front, Real Madrid celebrated a victory in this match, showcasing their ongoing pursuit of success in the league despite the emotional highs and lows faced by their players.