A star is born: on the rise of Feda Valverde at Real Madrid Israel today

Real Madrid don't really remember when they started a season like this, with nine consecutive victories.

The one who finished last season with a big double win, the Spanish Championship and the Champions League, just keeps on running forward without stopping.

Last season everyone was talking about Karim Benzema, Vinicius and Thibaut Courtois.

But this season, at least for now, belongs to Federico Valverde, the 24-year-old Uruguayan midfielder.

This is already Fede's fifth season at Real Madrid, but only now has he become a regular player in the lineup, one that cannot be replaced.

And if he doesn't play, it's only because he needs a little rest.

The one responsible more than anyone else for Valverde's rise is Carlo Ancelotti.

When the Italian coach returned to Real last summer, he was open-minded about the Uruguayan's preferred position.

Real had a permanent link trio, which included Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Valverde actually competed for the striker role on the right, against Lucas Vasquez and Marco Asensio, although it seemed a little forced.

After all, he was "born" as a 50-50 relationship.

Valverde.

Right now above all, photo: Reuters

But this is the greatness of Ancelotti, who managed to invent a new role for Valverde, which is actually a combination of the two roles: a powerful and energetic midfielder, and also one who knows how to do the job on the wing.

And that's exactly how the winning goal was scored in the Champions League final against Liverpool.

If last season Valverde only started in 19 out of 38 league games, this season there is no doubt at all about his place in the lineup.

He started eight of the nine games (he was rested only against Betis).

The difference is not only in the number of his minutes, but in the output: four goals and two assists.

To understand what we are talking about - in his record season, 2020/21, he scored three goals in 33 games.

Last season he scored one goal in 46 games.

Fede Valverde's shirt after the Madrid Derby.

Every game is a battle 😤

​​(via minabonino/IG) pic.twitter.com/Wsz2G2aQ73

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 19, 2022

And it's not just about exiles.

His crazy slalom goal against Mallorca is a candidate to be chosen as the goal of the season, against Leipzig he scored in the 80th minute when it seemed that Real would not win, and on Sunday he scored in the Madrid derby against Atlético.

Ancelotti is in love with Valverde: "I told him that if he doesn't finish the season with ten goals, I will tear up my coach's certificate."

It is already clear that there is no need to worry about Carlto's certificate.

"Federico plays excellently, but remains humble. This can help him become a great leader in the future," said the coach.

"He is one of those people who become leaders thanks to actions, not words."

So yes, the day is not far when Feda will become the captain of Real, and it will happen because of the qualities that characterize him: uncompromising fighting, modesty and of course - his madness when he celebrates the goals.

Valverde.

Came as the successor of Casemiro, photo: Getty

Succeeding Casemiro

Ancelotti's contribution to Valverde's career is clear, but there are two other coaches without whom he would not have reached his current position.

Real Madrid bought him when he was 18 years old from Fenerol for five million euros, and in his first season he played in Real's reserve team, under Santiago Solari, who said about the 18-year-old midfielder at the time: "He has acclimated great in the team and in Spain, and he always gives a lot to the midfielder."

He spent the 2017/18 season on loan at Deportivo La Coruna, which was relegated to the second division.

But in the summer of 2018 he returned to Real, and this time to the senior team.

Zinedine Zidane was the one who began to integrate him into the lineup significantly, when he gave up on Marcos Llorente, who left for Atlético.

and Verde.

Celebrating in the Madrid derby, photo: Reuters

Feda was then marked as the one who would one day inherit the place of Casemiro, who was his best friend in the team.

And there was no one who was more in shape than him when the Brazilian left for Manchester United.

In two months the Spanish league will stop, and the World Cup will start.

Four years ago, Valverde was not included in the squad of the Uruguayan team for the World Cup in Russia, but he will arrive in Qatar as the biggest star of the Celeste.

Uruguay have a tricky early home, where they will face South Korea, Portugal and Ghana.

Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are already 35 years old and well past their prime, and Darwin Nunes has yet to do much in the national uniform.

At the age of 24, Valverde has already played 42 games for the national team.

And for it to be successful in Qatar, he will have to play at the level he demonstrates in the Blancos uniform.

In Uruguay they know that there is someone to trust.

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