Real Madrid captain explains angry substitution gesture
Visibly annoyed when he was substituted during Real Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad, Fede Valverde later played down his angry reaction.
Fede Valverde delivered one of his strongest performances of the season on Saturday, as Real Madrid moved top of LaLiga with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Bernabéu. The Uruguayan midfielder not only drove the team on in the center of the park, but also struck Madrid’s third goal in the 31st minute.
Even so, Valverde didn’t come away from the game fully satisfied - a frustration he later explained on social media.
“Relax, friends - the cool box isn’t to blame”
The 27-year-old was visibly irritated when he was substituted in the 73rd minute, head coach Álvaro Arbeloa opting to replace the captain with winger Brahim Díaz. After shaking hands with members of the coaching staff as he reached the bench, Valverde vented by slamming a cooler before taking his seat.
“Relax, friends - the cool box isn’t to blame for me regretting a missed chance to shoot‚” he joked later on social media, adding several ‘laughing’ emojis to his message.
“A tough year”
Speaking to reporters after Madrid’s matchday-24 win, Valverde was more direct when asked about the club’s eventful season so far, and the weight of wearing the armband.
“It’s been a tough year as captain,” he said. “I’ve felt responsible when things aren’t going well. We’ve had weeks where we’ve had to swallow a lot of crap, and I think it’s helped us grow - both as players and as people.
“We’ve gone through rough patches - deservedly so. It forced us to change and mature. We didn’t win anything last year, and we haven’t won anything yet this year, either.
“We needed to grow, and things had to change. Now’s the moment. We’re winning games, and the team’s in good shape.”
The state of play at the top of LaLiga
Chasing the 37th LaLiga title in its history, Madrid now leads second-placed Barcelona by two points, albeit the Blaugrana is still to play on matchday 24.
Hansi Flick’s defending champions can reclaim top spot with victory over fellow Catalan team Girona on Monday, Feb. 16 (3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT).
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