On Saturday, Valencia FC faced athletic Bilbao in Mestalla, a historically difficult match for Valencia, which won only one match against this Basque team in six matches, with two matches and three defeats. This meeting is particularly crucial for Valencia after their recent defeat against FC Barcelona. The Athletic Bilbao came in shape, after a successful 2023-2024 season where they finished fourth in LaLiga, qualifying for the Supercup, while Valencia, despite a growing season, lost its European ambitions. The Valencia team for this match includes Mamaрдаshvili, Cristhian Mosque, Diakhaby, and other key players, while the Athletic Bilbao line up Unai Simón, Lekue, Vivian, and other important players. This match also marks the departure of Mamaрдаshvili and Jaume, two important players for Valencia who will not renew their contract. The history of the confrontations between the two teams in Valencia is slightly favorable to Valencia, with 51 wins against 15 for the Athletic and 24 matches.

The situation is complicated for the Athletic Bilbao due to injury problems, including the rupture of the left cross ligament of Beñat Prados, a regularly injured player. The most recent incident concerns a ban on playing for Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, following a yellow card received in the last match against Deportivo Alavés. The Federation Disciplinary Committee reviewed the case and finally decided to lift the ban. This decision is based on the absence of clear video evidence of intentional misconduct on the part of Ruiz de Galarreta, and on the principle that arbitral decisions are presumed to be correct, except in cases of manifest material error. The Committee stressed the need for irrefutable evidence to challenge an arbitral award, based on the rules and judicial precedents.

In conclusion, the Disciplinary Committee found that the absence of evidence of intentional misconduct on the part of Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta confirms that there is no material error in the original arbitral decision. Therefore, the prohibition to play for this player is lifted. The Panel carefully reviewed the evidence provided by both clubs and concluded that a manifest material error was not demonstrated. This decision is consistent with the principles of the presumption of veracity of arbitral decisions and judicial precedents in the challenge of disciplinary decisions.