Nothing is discovered if it is stated that
Carlo Ancelotti
is one of the best DTs in the world, perhaps in history.
For titles won and career he can fight anyone.
But also, the enormous
Carletto
has a condition that is not always consistent with success in this highly competitive environment: the
feeling
that he generates with his footballers, in this case with the Uruguayan
Federico Valverde
, scorer of two goals in the
World Cup final. Clubs
, which once again consecrated the Spanish team.
In September of last year, when the season was just beginning, Ancelotti spoke at a press conference and one of the questions had to do with a change in position that he had decided to shape in the game of the former Category 98 midfielder born in
Montevideo
.
Carlo Ancelotti embraces Ramón Díaz after the Club World Cup final.
Photo: AP Photo/Manu Fernandez.
For Ancelotti it was nonsense that a footballer like Valverde, with dynamics, footwork and exquisite punch, had only scored one goal in the season that had ended.
For this reason, he had decided to advance him a few meters to the extreme position, so that he could play closer to the area.
And true to his style, he told how the talk he had with the Uruguayan was to motivate him.
"I told him (to Valverde): 'If you are not capable of scoring at least 10 goals in a season, I have to tear up my card and go on a pension'. Because he has a gem in his foot... He not only has dynamics, He is a very intelligent player on the pitch", described the coach, praising the former
Peñarol
.
Fede more than paid for the trust of the coach, arriving in Morocco with 9 goals and the concrete chance of meeting the objective of preventing the immense Ancelotti from having to "break his card" as he summed up the idea of retiring from football.
Federico Valverde, 24 years old, a key player in Madrid and a huge future in football.
Photo: EFE/EPA/Jalal Morchidi.
"If I get to the tenth goal, I'm going to celebrate by giving him a hug," returned the Uruguayan, who admitted during the week that the lazy World Cup for Celeste in Qatar had taken its toll on him mentally and that he wanted to recover as soon as possible.
Boy did he do it.
Valverde scored the partial 2-0 and then scored to extend the lead against the humble Al Hilal of Ramón Díaz, who resisted as much as he could and kept the score in suspense until the last moment.
After scoring the first of his two goals,
Valverde
ran up to Ancelotti and gave him the hug he had promised, a gesture the Italian returned with great affection.
An award that will not appear in any statistics but that means a lot to DT, at 63 years of age.
Ancelotti's Real Madrid is coming up in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Liverpool to try to defend the crown they won last year in Paris, also against the English.
In Europe it is insisted that this will be the last season of the Italian coach in charge of a team in which he has already won everything.
Perhaps he is waiting for some elite Selection.
And no, thanks to Valverde he does not retire.