From a grassroots level in Uruguay to becoming one of the best box-to-box midfielders in modern-day football, Real Madrid star Federico Valverde's story is full of resilience and hard work.
He has established himself as a relentless force who is capable of changing the course of a match with a single, thunderous long-range shot or a lung-bursting run from deep. The 2024-25 season was quite good for “El Halcon”, a nickname given to Valverde by the Madridistas.
In the last season under Carlo Ancelotti, Fede Valverde has often been deployed as the right back, as Real Madrid’s longest serving player and an academy graduate, Dani Carvajal, was suffering through an ACL tear. Playing as a right back, Valverde played a total of 65 games, and scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists.
Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso share a huge respect for Federico Valverde's versatility, but their tactical approaches are significantly different. Ancelotti utilised Valverde in a variety of positions, from a central midfielder to a right-back or even a winger, viewing him as an irreplaceable and complete player who can perfectly cover any position.
Spanish manager Xabi Alonso’s tactics are more based on quick passing and quick counter formation than positional-based football. While he also recognises Valverde's versatility, famously comparing him to Liverpool's former talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard for his physical presence and ability to play anywhere, he is currently deploying him in a more defined midfield role, often as part of a double pivot.