2 hours ago
Having gone through the ordeal of spending two consecutive seasons without a major trophy, Real Madrid are set to take all the necessary steps to put things right with their team, and to ensure they return to winning ways in the 2026-27 season.
This is quite clear from their choice of Jose Mourinho to manage the team going forward, a coach who has already had a stint at the Merengue club, and who is characterized above anything else by his courage to take difficult measures when and as necessary.
In such a context, Diario AS notes that one player who would be facing a crucial season next year would be the midfielder Federico Valverde, who has had quite a difficult 2025-26 season. His performances on the pitch, during the last season were quite inconsistent, while he also remained in the media spotlight for the wrong reasons.
During this past season, the Uruguayan star put in one of the best performances in a Real Madrid shirt, in the UEFA Champions League game against Manchester City. However, at other times, he was found short of the coach’s or the fans’ expectations when his team needed him the most.
Similarly, he lost a lot of clout in the fans for some of his off-pitch controversies. This included an alleged role in the departure of Xabi Alonso, especially after his public comments making his disaffection known for playing as a fullback. But this episode was eclipsed by another event that took a lot of media spotlight, i.e., his fight with Aurelien Tchouameni.
This is quite clear from their choice of Jose Mourinho to manage the team going forward, a coach who has already had a stint at the Merengue club, and who is characterized above anything else by his courage to take difficult measures when and as necessary.
In such a context, Diario AS notes that one player who would be facing a crucial season next year would be the midfielder Federico Valverde, who has had quite a difficult 2025-26 season. His performances on the pitch, during the last season were quite inconsistent, while he also remained in the media spotlight for the wrong reasons.
During this past season, the Uruguayan star put in one of the best performances in a Real Madrid shirt, in the UEFA Champions League game against Manchester City. However, at other times, he was found short of the coach’s or the fans’ expectations when his team needed him the most.
Similarly, he lost a lot of clout in the fans for some of his off-pitch controversies. This included an alleged role in the departure of Xabi Alonso, especially after his public comments making his disaffection known for playing as a fullback. But this episode was eclipsed by another event that took a lot of media spotlight, i.e., his fight with Aurelien Tchouameni.
