Valverde Reflects on the Barcelona Defeat: "Never Give Up…"
In an interview with Universo Valdano, the Real Madrid midfielder discussed the heavy loss to FC Barcelona but assured that it will not affect the rest of the season.
Real Madrid entered the Clasico last month with high hopes, but despite the support of their fans and playing at the Santiago Bernabéu, they fell victim to the offside trap of the Barcelona defense and were overwhelmed by Raphinha and company (4-0). Although the defeat was painful, Federico Valverde showed great self-criticism. "It's painful to lose against a direct rival, one you play for pride and honor in one of the most-watched matches in the world. It hurts a lot, and you feel helpless not getting the three points on your own field. But you also have to know when the other team was superior, and I think Barcelona played a very good game, especially in the second half. The first half was very balanced, but the goal changed everything. They quickly scored the second, and that surpassed the tactical or footballing aspects, and we became a little more disorganized," said the Uruguayan international.
"Never Give Up"
A candid reflection, perhaps to ease the disappointment and, most importantly, correct what went wrong. Additionally, Valverde knows well that, however painful the defeat was, it is not definitive for the remainder of the season. "A few years ago, we lost 0-4 at the Bernabéu, and we ended up winning the Champions League and the league. These are just matches, and they don't represent the whole year. What defines the season is whether you've won titles, not if you lost certain games. I’ll keep that in mind, that there is still much to play for, many things to fight for," he recalled, referring to the defeat of March 20, 2022, also at home. A few weeks later, Los Merengues won their 35th La Liga title and their 14th Champions League.
"The history of this club is about never giving up; we must fight until the end. We need to be the first to push ourselves in training and show people that we want to win everything this year. That's the only way to continue improving and growing," concluded the Uruguayan, who has taken Toni Kroos’ place in the midfield this season. Undoubtedly, he will seek to draw inspiration from the German’s mentality to continue the club's success, currently second in La Liga, 3 points behind FC Barcelona. While he awaits his return to the Spanish capital, Valverde has one last match to play with Uruguay in 2024, tomorrow night in Salvador against Brazil, led by Marquinhos.
