Federico Valverde went through a difficult evening last Wednesday, during Real Madrid’s defeat against Athletic Bilbao (2-1) in La Liga. Guilty of a loss of ball which allowed Gorka Guruzeta to score the second goal for Zuri-gorriak, the Uruguayan midfielder expressed deep regrets.
At a press conference before the Champions League match against Atalanta on Tuesday, Valverde returned to the restless night he experienced after this trip to the Basque Country. “After San Mamés, for example, I had trouble sleeping, because I’m not used to experiencing these moments. I made a mistake that cost me the match, which had never happened to me in my entire career,” he confided.
Valverde, an essential player for Real
As a reminder, Valverde joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, at the same time as Vinicius Jr, Thibaut Courtois, Mariano Diaz, Alvaro Odriozola and Sergio Reguilon. Since then, the native of Montevideo has established himself as a pillar of the Madrid locker room, alongside the Brazilian left winger and the Belgian goalkeeper.
This season, he has started 22 times in as many matches, with a record of 4 goals and 2 assists. The Merengue number 8 is also the second player most requested by Carlo Ancelotti with 1,876 minutes played, just behind Antonio Rüdiger and his 1,897 minutes.
