The fallout from Lee Kang-in’s (25, Atletico Madrid) rough tackle on Federico Valverde (Real Madrid) during the Madrid Derby has escalated beyond the pitch. After Real Madrid shared footage of the incident on their official social media, Lee’s personal accounts were flooded with abusive and racially charged comments.
Atletico Madrid clinched a 2-1 victory against Real Madrid in their La Liga Round 7 home fixture for the 2026-27 season at the Civitas Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, on September 20 (local time).
The controversial moment unfolded in the 44th minute of the first half. As Lee attempted to thwart a Real Madrid counter-attack, his studs caught Valverde’s left ankle. Surprisingly, the referee didn’t brandish a yellow card, and video assistant referee (VAR) didn’t intervene.
Post-match, Real Madrid took to their official social media to publicly question the referee’s decision, sharing a photo capturing Lee’s contact with Valverde’s ankle.
The post went viral, amassing over 1,327,000 likes and 46,000 comments in just 13 hours.
Real Madrid’s official website match review didn’t mince words, expressing strong disapproval of the referee’s call. They highlighted that despite having a clear view, the official failed to issue even a yellow card, let alone a red, for Lee’s tackle.
The backlash from Real Madrid’s post quickly spilled over onto Lee’s personal social media accounts.
One user commented in English, wishing a similar tackle on Lee in future matches. Others left derogatory emojis and criticized Lee for evading a red card.
Some reactions crossed the line into hate speech. Certain users posted monkey emojis on Lee’s posts, a clear racist gesture. Unfounded accusations of intentionally trying to injure Valverde or bribing the referee also surfaced.
In response, many Korean fans rallied to Lee’s defense, arguing that while criticism of the play is fair game, racist comments are unacceptable. This has sparked heated debates among fans.
Real Madrid’s coach, Jose Mourinho, didn’t hold back in the post-match press conference. He dramatically presented printed photos of both Lee’s tackle on Valverde and Cristian Romero’s foul on Jude Bellingham.
Mourinho stated that the evidence is right here. These were two clear red cards. He criticized the 41-year-old referee’s lack of international experience, questioning his appointment to such a high-stakes match.
In contrast, Atletico Madrid’s coach Diego Simeone took a more measured approach. He emphasized the need for coaches to be mindful of their words given their influence, stressing that respect should be the bottom line for everyone.
