Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde made a confession about his team’s recent Champions League … [+]
Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde made a confession about his team’s recent Champions League quarterfinal second leg win over holders Manchester City to ESPN Uruguay.
Two legs in the Spanish capital and then Manchester finished 4-4 on aggregate, and therefore required a scoreless 30 minutes of extra time meaning the tie had to be settled from the penalty spot.
Madrid prevailed 4-3 with center back Antonio Rudiger firing home the winner, and Valverde told ESPN that he doesn’t believe he’s ever played “such a tiring match”.
“Not having the ball, and defending most of the time always close to your goal, generates extreme fatigue and makes you experience football in a different way. But thank God we were able to qualify,” the 25-year-old said.
Following the last eight triumph, head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s son and assistant Davide revealed in the mixed zone that Valverde asked not to be one of the five men that took penalties against Ederson, which the player himself also confirmed.
“I suffered a lot in the penalty shootout. I had never been through such an important tie because of a penalty shootout, so winning it was very nice,” he confessed.
“I decided not to take one in the shootout because I was tired and because I think the most important thing in those moments is your head.
“If you don’t feel good, you’re not going to be less of a footballer to tell the truth. And I think that at that moment you also have to get rid of that pride and that ego, and if I’m not ready for this moment I leave it to another teammate.”
In Valverde’s view, Los Blancos always find a way to prevail because of “the badge more than anything”, and “for always fighting and knowing that you always have to trust until the end, that you can [win] against any opponent”.
“Madrid is always Madrid and we’ve shown that in this Champions League,” said the 2021/2022 winner of the tournament, who provided an assist for Vinicius Jr. in the final won 1-0 against Liverpool in Paris.
Lastly, Valverde has no doubt that Ancelotti is “the most important person I have in football today”.
“Not only for everything he gives me on a football level, but for everything he gives me on a human level, always asking if me and my family are okay – that’s the most important thing.
“He’s so close that he makes you feel like you’re a family member. And I think those coaches or those people within a club are always important,” Valverde concluded.
