Federico Valverde will become Real Madrid captain despite the failed World Cup


Federico Valverde was one of the most talked about players in the Real Madrid squad at the end of last season, when he had a brawl in the dressing room with Aurelien Tchouameni. Valverde then had a forgettable World Cup campaign with Uruguay, as he failed to help his team get past the group stage, finishing behind Cabo Verde and Spain. After Uruguay's early exit, Valverde will return to Santiago Bernabeu this summer, hoping to correct mistakes under coach Jose Mourinho. According to AS, despite going through many turbulences in the past few months, Real Madrid still considers Valverde an important part of their plans. With the departure of Dani Carvajal this summer, Valverde will become the new captain of Real Madrid. This is a huge show of faith in the Uruguayan, who will have to lead the dressing room in a new phase under Mourinho. This decision is especially notable considering all that has transpired. The brawl between Valverde and Tchouameni was one of the lowest points of Real Madrid's season, with the incident escalating over two days and culminating in Tchouameni being hospitalized. Both players were fined half a million euros, but the club has clearly decided to move forward with Valverde as a central figure. It should be noted that this player has also encountered tense relationships with several coaches. He was identified as one of Xabi Alonso's internal rivals and was the focus of frustration from the Bernabeu audience after Alonso was fired. His relationship with Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa has also broken down, with Valverde among the players who confronted the coach before the decisive World Cup match against Spain. Despite all this, Mourinho seems ready to build his squad around the Uruguayan. The Portuguese coach plans to give Valverde a central role in a Real Madrid squad that is expected to focus more on counter-attacking play and exploiting space. There is one positive from Uruguay's early exit at the World Cup. With both Valverde and Tchouameni ruled out, the pair will be able to return to pre-season training almost from the start, giving Mourinho the opportunity to integrate them into his plans early. For Valverde, this summer will be crucial as he tries to regain the trust of Real Madrid fans and, most importantly, get off to a good start with new coach Mourinho, who has complete faith in the 27-year-old.

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