After overcoming the tense relationship with Xabi Alonso caused by filling in as a wing-back, Federico Valverde is striving to regain the all-conquering form he once possessed.
Real Madrid managed to win their last three games of 2025; though the performances were far from spectacular, they were enough to calm the storm and allow Xabi Alonso to face 2026 with a relatively peaceful mindset. There is no doubt, however, that there are still unfinished tasks on the agenda. One of them is to bring back the best version of Valverde, because the Uruguayan seen so far this season is nowhere near the player everyone expected him to be.
Alonso and Valverde’s shared journey began at the FIFA Club World Cup, where the Uruguayan turned in an outstanding performance and found the back of the net. Alonso did not hold back his praise, comparing him to a legend he knows well: “I have not seen many players with physical attributes like his. He reminds me of someone like Steven Gerrard. He can play in any position, and I am absolutely delighted to coach him. Every manager would want a Valverde in their team.”
Valverde: From Solution to Question Mark
This versatility is an advantage, but it is also an obstacle, as it has led Valverde to frequently switch positions according to the team’s needs. One of the positions he has been deployed in regularly is right-back: with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal sidelined for long periods due to injury, the Uruguayan has played as a wing-back in 9 out of his 22 appearances this season.
This trend sparked tensions, especially when Valverde made a statement clearly expressing his desire to no longer be used as a wing-back: “I was not born to play wing-back, and I did not grow up playing in that position. It is a stop-gap measure, and I always follow the manager’s instructions. I will learn new positions if required, but I feel uncomfortable because this is not where I developed my game. Some things are difficult for me, such as getting back into position defensively.” There were even hints that he had refused to play the role, which Valverde moved to clarify: “I have never refused to play in any position. No matter where I am on the pitch, I always give my all. This was true for Carlo Ancelotti, Zinedine Zidane and now Xabi Alonso. I always voice my opinion, but the players who start must embrace the opportunity as if it were their last.”
The Uruguayan Yet to Get Off the Mark
The tense period has come and gone, and Valverde remains a key member of the team, whether playing in midfield or wing-back. But the real problem is that he has failed to show the dynamic, goal-scoring form he displayed in previous seasons. This is exactly what Xabi Alonso needs him to rediscover, regardless of his position on the pitch. The player once made Ancelotti bet that he would tear up his coaching badge if Valverde failed to score 10 goals in a season—and the Italian won that bet: in the following campaign, Valverde netted 12 times.
But Valverde is currently going through a bizarre goal drought, which is all the more strange considering he is still one of the team’s most potent shooters, and Real Madrid need his long-range strikes to break down deep-lying defences when penetration proves difficult. In the 2022-23 season, the campaign in which he scored 12 goals, Valverde took a shot every 42 minutes, registered an on-target effort every 119 minutes, and found the net every 367 minutes. His figures were similar last season: a shot every 59 minutes, an on-target attempt every 173 minutes, and a goal every 559 minutes. However, so far this season, he has played 1,833 minutes without scoring a single goal, taking a shot every 65 minutes and hitting the target every 262 minutes...
