Valverde, the little bird is out / C1 / Demies / Manchester City-Real Madrid / SOFOOT.com
A Real Madrid player since 2017, Federico Valverde has gradually become an essential player in the squad meringue. First loaned to Deportivo La Coruña, integrated into the White House locker room and now considered a full-fledged executive, the Uruguayan is going through this 2021-2022 season with a view to what he will become, namely one of the most influential midfielders of the decade.
04/26/2022 at 9 p.m.
Champions League
In the event of very good news, an outburst of joy can lead to behavior close to the irrational. Ten days ago, Real Madrid offered themselves the scalp of Sevilla FC thanks to Karim Benzema in added time, all in a Sánchez-Pizjuán stadium that went from a boiling atmosphere to a cold shower. Thanks to this success acquired after being led 2-0, the Blancos have put a hand and a half on the title of champion of Spain 2021-2022. Inevitably, the goal of KB9 aroused a lot of emotion among the people of Madrid, on and off the field. Holder on the right flank of the attack, Federico Valverde came to celebrate this goal with his people in a very wild way. Possessed by this happy ending, El Pajarito (The Little Bird, in VF) evacuated his stress by kicking a member of the Madrid staff in the back to express his trance. A detail that perfectly symbolizes the rage to win that inhabits Madrid’s number 15.
“Real Madrid changed my life”
To tell the truth, Valverde is not at his first madness in the jersey meringue. In the 2020 Spanish Super Cup final against Atlético, the Charrua had already been guilty of a very controversial tackle from behind on Álvaro Morata, who left alone towards the goal to challenge Thibaut Courtois. Sanctioned with a logical red card, the warrior trained in Peñarol was praised by Diego Simeone after the meeting for his keen sense of sacrifice. “In Uruguay we grow up fighting, we see our parents fighting over a plate of potatoes and I think that translates into our footballexplained the person concerned last month in the radio program El Larguero. When it comes time to enter the field, we remember those times when our parents starved themselves while working more than twelve hours a day. » And it is not surprising to see him today stripping himself so much for his people: “Real Madrid changed my life, I owe the club a lot. Whenever I can help her, I will. » But beyond his desire to crunch in matches with full teeth, Federico Valverde above all taught Real Madrid to become a world reference.
A trained central midfielder, the South American is now used as a full-back in a 4-4-2 and even a winger in a 4-3-3 like in Sevilla. That said, make no mistake: where Valverde excels is in the middle of the field. With the jersey of Uruguay, the native of Montevideo has become the chief blaster of the midfield of his selection. During the last international break, “Fede” was a few centimeters away from scoring one of the goals of the year against Peru. Alas, his guided missile crashed into Pedro Gallese’s crossbar. Therefore, it’s a safe bet that Carlo Ancelotti will see in Valverde the worthy heir of Luka Modrić, a 36-year-old metronome under contract with Real until next June. “What Luka taught me was his constant desire to winhe continues. Luka has won many titles, but he continues to maintain this requirement to achieve the highest goals. I like this ambition of always wanting to win, whether it’s a Champions League, La Liga or King’s Cup match. »
City, the great flight?
Against Manchester City, Federico Valverde will play the second Champions League semi-final of his career after elimination against Chelsea last season. During the 2019-2020 exercise, the people of Madrid lost to the Citizens in a round of 16 disrupted by the arrival of the pandemic (2-1, 2-1). Valverde was there, and that defeat is probably still on his mind. In 2022, this new opportunity to make fun of Pep Guardiola’s gang resonates as a way to confirm his collective and individual rise to power. “I continue to learn and improvecontinues the father of the family. The roof, I fix it myself. If I tell myself that I can do more, I will do more. The day I will be satisfied, I will stagnate. My head has to keep thinking about moving forward to win titles. » City are warned: the bird is coming to Manchester to hunt.
By Antoine Donnarieix
