Real Madrid star Federico Valverde has on Tuesday provided an insight into the mental toll which his headline-grabbing recent error against Athletic Club took on him.
Midfielder Valverde was for his part responsible for a costly individual mistake last week.
En route to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Ernesto Valverde’s Athletic, the Uruguayan needlessly attempted to dribble the ball out from the back late on.
Valverde, from here, saw his pocket picked, allowing Gorka Guruzeta to break free and slot home the game’s decisive goal.
A player so rarely culpable for individual errors, the 26-year-old, in turn, was left looking nothing short of crestfallen post-match.
Speaking to the media this week, Valverde was therefore drawn on his mindset in the aftermath of the San Mamés defeat.
And Valverde was not shy in admitting:
“I made a very key mistake that had never happened to me before… and that night I had trouble sleeping.”
He continued:
”But I have to move forward and show that I’m one of the captains.”
⚪️💤 Fede Valverde: “Few games ago I made a very key mistake that had never happened to me before… and that night I had trouble sleeping”.
“But I have to move forward and show that I'm one of the captains”. pic.twitter.com/r8hkl0hZ2m
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 9, 2024
Conor Laird – GSFN