Federico Valverde: And if it was him, the strong man of Real Madrid?

The recipient was not insensitive. “I have the best of masters“, Valverde replied to his teammate’s tweet. It is humility that characterizes him. She has always contributed, with her boundless fighting spirit and unfailing dedication to the institution, to his popularity among Real Madrid fans. They’ve seen his steady progression since the former Peñarol resident settled in the Spanish capital in 2016, when he had just turned 18. But they didn’t necessarily expect to see him take this dimension, which Kroos summed up in a tweet. Six years later, Valverde is much more than an exemplary club player. He has become an incredible footballer.

L’inspiration d’Ancelotti

His upward trajectory took a decisive turn last season. Before Valverde was more of a luxury understudy. A safe solution in the event of the defection of one of the members of the “Golden Triangle” of the Madrid midfield formed by Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. It was logical. The versatile Uruguayan midfielder, rather considered a torchbearer, seemed destined to quietly learn the highest level of demands in the profession alongside the three behemoths before becoming in turn a starter in the merengue midfield. But Carlo Ancelotti has shaken things up a bit.

The Real manager was inspired by repositioning Valverde last spring. He was looking for the best formula to maximize the performance of a collective which had shown its limits against PSG in the round of 16 of the Champions League, despite qualifying. The Italian technician had thus chosen to align Valverde in an unusual attacking position on the right side for the quarter against Chelsea. With a hybrid role, between the need to give width to the game in the offensive phases and that of reinforcing the density of the Madrid midfield. A perfect role for the Uruguayan marathon runner.

Multiple virtues

He was already highlighting the qualities that we knew at Valverde. Starting with a fairly exceptional ability to repeat high-intensity runs, both in the offensive and defensive phases. And at high speed, one of the best assets of the Uruguayan environment. It is all the more glaring since he has had to evolve more on one side. His knowledge of placement and his combativeness in recovery are two other aspects of his game that he expresses particularly well in this position. So many virtues that allowed him to fill a void on the Madrid right flank. He has not only balanced the collective of Real. He improved it.

Because his contribution does not stop there. Valverde’s attacking qualities were perhaps a little less visible in a torchbearer role, even if he had already had the opportunity to show his striking power. Closer to the surface, he also showed his ability to be decisive. With his goal against Barça, the Uruguayan now has five goals this season. He has already beaten his best total for an entire exercise when the season started only two months ago. He is also Real’s second goalscorer in all competitions, behind Vinicius Jr. (7 goals), and tied with Rodrygo and Karim Benzema.

The man of the big meetings

In the finish, the Uruguayan does as well as professional strikers. And those of the White House are not the least talented in the world. But this difference, he especially knows how to make it in important moments. His goal in a fixture as big as a Clasico only confirmed this trend. Valverde had already distinguished himself by scoring Real’s second goal in the derby won against Atlético (0-2). He had especially offered Vinicius Jr. that of victory against Liverpool in the final of the Champions League last spring (1-0).

It’s more and more difficult to find fault with Valverde. Because in addition, he has this communicative grinta. If the merengue club seems unsinkable, able to recover from anything, the Uruguayan is perhaps the one who best embodies this state of mind. It is not necessarily a coincidence that Real has given off this impression since its midfielder became an indisputable starter last spring. That it attracts more and more light owes nothing to chance. Only on the merit of a man who has become indispensable in the White House.