Six days ago, right after the end of this season’s first El Clasico, Toni Kroos wrote on Twitter that he considers Federico Valverde one of the three best footballers in the world at the moment. The German ace did not announce who he considers to be second (assuming that Karim Benzema is No. 1), but it is clear that if he continues like this, the Uruguayan will highlight his candidacy to succeed the Frenchman on the podium, when France Football magazine announces the best next year.The fact that favors him is that he plays for Real Madrid, and the biggest club in the world has given as many as six laureates in the last nine editions (Cristiano Ronaldo four times, Luka Modrić and Karim Benzema once each) and although the performance at the World Cup will be watched the most – and Uruguay don’t really have much of a chance in Qatar – it might seem at first glance that the 24-year-old boy from Montevideo is not in the closest circle of candidates.Likewise, eight years ago, no one could predict how far Valverde would reach:”I just want a chance,” read his post on Twitter at the time.Not only did he get it and use it, but today hardly anyone can refute the words of Toni Kroos.Toni Kroos on Fede Valverde after his MOTM performance against Barcelona 😍🇺🇾🇩🇪Game recognizes game 🤝 #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/TnqtGb26Lk— Football Zone (@ftblzone_) October 16, 2022 In 2014, when he started tweeting, he was 15 years old and dreamed of somehow making it to the first team of Peñarol, the most famous club in Uruguay. He only needed one season. So much so that in Montevideo he attracted the attention of representatives of Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and other scouts of big clubs who were looking for talent in South America. He was captured by Real Madrid, because Florentino Perez realized a long time ago that it is necessary to look to the future (proved later by the examples of buying Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo for relatively little money compared to their capabilities) and got a footballer for whom Kroos – and he knows a lot about this game – he assures that he is among the three best on the planet.Real brought him for only 5,000,000 euros (from this point in time, it seems like the best spent money in the recent history of Madrid) as a pledge for the future. And it arrived. After a stint in Castilla under the command of Guti and tempering in Deportivo from La Coruña, Fede first got a chance under Santiago Solari. Still in the Champions League game at home against Victoria Plzen. Not an attractive opponent, but from that moment Valverde’s meteoric rise began, later noticed under the bat of Zinedine Zidane, and reached cosmic forms in the constellation of Carlo Ancelotti.The highlight was Real’s last game last season. After a never-more-difficult road to the final that was ravaged the most by Karim Benzema, while everyone at Saint-Denis was looking at the Frenchman, it was Fede Valverde who sent the pass to Vinicius Junior for the collapse of Liverpool and the 14th Champions League trophy.Zidane had so much trust in Fede Valverde that he decided to keep him at Real Madrid and sell Marcos Llorente, although this made Zidane face a lot of criticism at the that time. pic.twitter.com/7xHA2yqHTf— ValverdeOnline🇨🇳 (@valverdeonline) October 21, 2022 When Los Blancos returned to Valdebebas, Ancelotti asked for a dialogue with the Uruguayan. For two reasons. The first was the desire to change his position, to no longer be a typical rear midfielder, who only spoils the opponent’s game, but to move more to the right wing – from where he sent that ball to Vinny – and the second reason: well, that seemed like a demanding mission this summer.”I saw the statistics from the previous season and noticed that he only scored one goal. So I told him he had to score at least ten in this one. Otherwise, I will tear up my coaching diploma,” said the Italian.He didn’t have to say it twice. Fede understood him well. And started to fill the columns. It is not even the end of October yet, and he has already shaken the nets of his rivals six times. And these were not some scrappy goals, but extremely influential ones. Against Majorca, a run longer than 50 meters before he sent it home; grabbing Atlético in the choke hold in the Madrid derby; verifying the advantage against Barcelona; he scored for the advantage against Leipzig in the Champions League and the other day on the road to weak Elche, when the expected lead was sought.”Fede is insane! It looks like my job is safe,” laughed Ancelotti after that match, alluding to the fact that his squad has scored the same number of goals this season as Karim Benzema (with the forward being injured for a month), just one less than the club’s top scorer – Vinicius Junior, and one more than Rodrygo.##EDITORS_CHOICE##The way in which Valverde follows the actions of his teammates is particularly impressive. He always finds himself in the right place to put the ball into the net after some shots by his teammates and some fans will call it luck. The profession uses the term “anticipation” for such positioning. Simply put, football intellect. Valverde does not run on empty, but turns on his brain to appear where the ball will come. Three with the left, three with the right, three from the penalty area, three outside. That’s six goals in just 15 games for Real this season. He gave as much in the first almost 150.The obvious progress is the result of the fact that Carletto changed his position, brought him closer to the rival’s penalty area, made him more dangerous, but he still sometimes returns to the midfield, where he started his career. He covers absolutely all positions, because since the 2017/18 season, when he appeared on the pitches of Primera (in the jersey of Deportivo), Fede has shown that he is resourceful everywhere in the midfield, and even managed to try himself as a right back. He rarely failed.Inspired By: @OptaAnalyst Looked at the distribution of positions that Fede Valverde has played since his debut in 16-17.it’s safe to say he is a versatile chess piece ♟️ pic.twitter.com/LtzBto7gM1— emery (@emeryakimanzi) October 21, 2022 In the current championship, he not only scores when it matters, but also outplays his teammates. He is the Real Madrid player who created the most chances for his teammates (15), even more than Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić (12 each). The duel with Sevilla will be an opportunity to enrich the balance, and Real to break another record. It concerns the number of games at the beginning of the season without defeat. The current streak amounts to 15 matches (13 triumphs, two draws) and if they remain undefeated in the clash with the Andalusians, they will surpass the achievement from the start of the competitive cycle in 1991/92, when in the 16th match they lost against the Swiss Neuchâtel (0-1).LA LIGA – ROUND 11SaturdayRayo Vallecano – Cadiz 5-1 (2-0)/Palazon 44, Garcia 45+1, Lejeune 63, 89, Camello 79, – Balliu 72 og/17:15: (4.00) Valladolid (3.20) Sociedad (2.19)19:30: (1.82) Valencia (3.50) Mallorca (5.00)22:00: (1.45) Real Madrid (4.50) Sevilla (7.75)Sunday15:00: (1.79) Espanyol (3.70) Elche (5.40)17:15: (3.25) Betis (3.10) Atl.Madrid (2.55)19:30: (2.70) Girona (3.10) Osasuna (3.00)19:30: (1.42) Villareal (4.70) Almeria (8.50)22:00: (1.62) Barcelona (4.00) Ath.Bilbao (6.00)Monday22:00: (1.84) Celta (3.60) Getafe (5.20)***odds are subject to change***
