TA: Valverde never had a dispute with Alonso, nor did he ask for a specific position

Real Madrid midfielder Valverde made a public article on social media, refuting the statement that media reports said he refused to play in the game against Almaty Keilat. Guillermo Rai, a reporter from The Athletic, also posted an article to explain the situation behind the controversy.

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In the past two seasons, Valverde has been the player with the most playing time in Real Madrid. In the 2023-24 season, he played 54 games, with a total game time of 4,280 minutes, and played 65 games last season, with a total game time of 5,556 minutes. Team insiders talked about Valverde's situation in Real Madrid's locker room, saying that he is introverted, but he is one of the team's leaders and played a key role in Real Madrid's last two Champions League finals.

Under former head coach Ancelotti, Valverde's versatile traits made him a key part of the team's tactical system. His best position is in the midfield, but Ancelotti often lets him play on the right side. After Real Madrid lost to Milan 1-3 in the Champions League last November, Valverde's wife and reporter Mina Bonito said in response to a fan's remarks on social media: "Brother, Fede is most suitable for playing defensive midfielder. What are you talking about? When will you understand that he is not a winger?"

Under Xavi Alonso's rule, Valverde still plays an important role, but even if he is placed in the position he is best at, the players still seem a little uncomfortable. In Alonso's high-pressure pressing system, his influence is far less than that of teammate Joan Armeni. Due to injury to right back Arnold, he is expected to be out for eight weeks, but Valverde made a clear statement that he is unwilling to play as a guest right back again. A few hours later, a club insider revealed to him that they would be surprised if Valverde was still arranged to play right-back after making such remarks.

As expected, Valverde continued to start the midfield in Real Madrid's next game, although occasionally moving to the right-wingback position. However, last Saturday, Carvajal suffered a muscle injury in the Madrid derby and the team defeated Atletico Madrid 2-5, rekindling the discussion about who will play right back. When attending the pre-match press conference with Keirat, Valverde expressed his dissatisfaction with his current poor form. When asked whether he would play as a defender under Alonso, he responded: "Go and ask the coach. I have always followed the team's arrangements and have never refused to play anywhere. No matter where I play, I will do my best."

However, when the start of the game was announced the next day, Valverde's substitute was quite surprised, not only because he was the starter unless he was injured, but also because there was an unwritten rule in the European game, that is, players attending the pre-match press conference will usually start the next day's game. In faraway Kazakhstan, the team easily won 5 goals, but Spanish journalists also noticed a situation where Valverde's warm-up speed was much slower than usual. The TV broadcast footage captured him walking slowly along the sideline as the game was in progress, with his hands behind his back, and he did not appear in the end. When asked about this, Alonso responded: "I don't know. I watched the game and didn't notice what you said." So after the game, some Spanish media began to question Valverde's attitude. Sources close to the players said they were surprised by the controversy caused by Valverde's failure to play in this game and his situation on the sidelines. They explained that the original plan was to let the players take a rest in this game, and Valverde's refusal to warm up was not true.

The same source was also angry at the reports of Western media, believing that they were creating a negative image of Valverde. Sources stressed that Valverde never had a dispute with Alonso and never asked the coach to let him play in a specific position, and they did not want to be misunderstood. Club sources also said Valverde would not take any action without prior consultation with Alonso and they would not be involved in the controversy. To relieve doubts, Valverde issued a statement on social media to clarify.

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