Valverde’s role in the first game against City had been one of manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s most important decisions.
Against Jeremy Doku, he was Trent Alexander-Arnold’s best friend, protecting the right-back without sacrificing his freedom to surge forward. The plan relied on long deliveries from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois into the right flank where Valverde could attack the space behind City’s high line.
The first goal came exactly that way. Courtois launched long, Valverde won the duel with Nico O’Reilly, drove into the area and finished. City needed to look after Vinicius, who was mostly anonymous, but instead Madrid broke the game open through Valverde on the other side.
For Arbeloa this performance was not so much a surprise.
In recent weeks the coach has described Valverde as the spiritual epitome of Real Madrid, even comparing him to former player Juan Gomez – Juanito – which, at the Bernabeu, is placing a player on the highest club’s altar.
In his 10 years at Real Madrid, Valverde has made almost 300 appearances and has won 11 major trophies, including two Champions League triumphs.
He grew up in Montevideo, Uruguay, in the neighbourhood of La Union.
His father worked as a security guard at a casino. His mother cleaned houses and sometimes sold clothes to help support the family. Money was tight. His first football boots were second-hand, their toes repaired so they would last longer.
One of his youth coaches nicknamed him ‘Pajarito’ (little bird) because as a child he seemed to bounce everywhere with the ball.
His father Julio did not like that analogy too much. He preferred to think of his child as a stronger being and, with that in mind, shaped his mentality.
“He taught me that fighting is in the blood,” Valverde has said. “Even today he pushes me. He tells me to shoot more, to keep improving.”
