Álvaro Arbeloa did not hesitate to heap praise on Federico Valverde after his spectacular performance in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
Speaking after the match against the team coached by Pep Guardiola, Arbeloa described the Uruguayan midfielder as “the Juanito of the 21st century.”
“I’m very happy for Fede Valverde, because of how persistent I am with him. I don’t know if he’s going to end up hating me,” the Real Madrid coach joked during his press conference.
Arbeloa then expanded on his striking comparison with one of the club’s greatest icons, Juan Gómez González.
“Fede is the Juanito of the 21st century,” he said. “He perfectly represents what Real Madrid is all about. He’s one of the team’s leaders.”
The coach emphasized that Valverde’s performance was a reflection of his commitment and leadership within the squad.
“His night fills me with pride because he deserves it. It reinforces his sacrifice, because he leads by example and is a leader. I’m very happy for him,” Arbeloa added.
Arbeloa also analyzed the Uruguayan’s role in the match, where he was named MVP after scoring a stunning hat trick.
“He played everywhere. We wanted him to be more aggressive and attack the space behind their defensive line. With Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz, we knew there would be space. He also helped Trent Alexander-Arnold defensively and scored three goals. It was a truly memorable performance.”
Arbeloa concluded by highlighting Valverde’s versatility and importance to the team.
“He can play in the center or out wide, but the most important thing is everything he brings to the team.”
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| LA LIGA | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | |||
| POS | TEAM | M | +/- | P |
| 1 | Barcelona | 27 | 46 | 67 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 27 | 33 | 63 |
| 3 | Atletico Madrid | 27 | 21 | 54 |
| 4 | Villarreal | 27 | 18 | 54 |
| 5 | Real Betis | 27 | 8 | 43 |
| 6 | Celta Vigo | 27 | 7 | 40 |
| 7 | Espanyol | 27 | -6 | 37 |
| 8 | Real Sociedad | 27 | -1 | 35 |
| 9 | Getafe | 27 | -6 | 35 |
| 10 | Athletic Club | 27 | -7 | 35 |
| 11 | Osasuna | 27 | 0 | 34 |
| 12 | Valencia | 27 | -11 | 32 |
| 13 | Rayo Vallecano | 27 | -6 | 31 |
| 14 | Sevilla | 27 | -7 | 31 |
| 15 | Girona | 27 | -15 | 31 |
| 16 | Alaves | 27 | -12 | 27 |
| 17 | Elche | 27 | -6 | 26 |
| 18 | Mallorca | 27 | -13 | 25 |
| 19 | Levante | 27 | -16 | 22 |
| 20 | Oviedo | 27 | -27 | 18 |
| POS | TEAM | M | +/- | P |
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 19 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern München | 8 | 14 | 21 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 8 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham | 8 | 10 | 17 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 8 | 8 | 16 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 8 | 7 | 16 |
| 7 | Sporting CP | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 8 | 6 | 16 |
| 9 | Real Madrid | 8 | 9 | 15 |
| 10 | Inter | 8 | 8 | 15 |
| 11 | Paris Saint Germain | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 8 | 10 | 14 |
| 13 | Juventus | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 14 | Atletico Madrid | 8 | 2 | 13 |
| 15 | Atalanta | 8 | 0 | 13 |
| 16 | Bayer Leverkusen | 8 | -1 | 12 |
| 17 | Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 2 | 11 |
| 18 | Olympiakos Piraeus | 8 | -4 | 11 |
| 19 | Club Brugge KV | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 20 | Galatasaray | 8 | -2 | 10 |
| 21 | Monaco | 8 | -6 | 10 |
| 22 | Qarabag | 8 | -8 | 10 |
| 23 | Bodo/Glimt | 8 | -1 | 9 |
| 24 | Benfica | 8 | -2 | 9 |
| 25 | Marseille | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 26 | Pafos | 8 | -3 | 9 |
| 27 | Union St. Gilloise | 8 | -9 | 9 |
| 28 | PSV Eindhoven | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 29 | Athletic Club | 8 | -5 | 8 |
| 30 | Napoli | 8 | -6 | 8 |
| 31 | FC Copenhagen | 8 | -9 | 8 |
| 32 | Ajax | 8 | -13 | 6 |
| 33 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 8 | -11 | 4 |
| 34 | Slavia Praha | 8 | -14 | 3 |
| 35 | Villarreal | 8 | -13 | 1 |
| 36 | Kairat Almaty | 8 | -15 | 1 |
| LA LIGA | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | |
| Kylian Mbappé | 23 Goals | Real Madrid |
| V. Muriqi | 18 Goals | Mallorca |
| Lamine Yamal | 14 Goals | Barcelona |
| A. Budimir | 13 Goals | Osasuna |
| Ferran Torres | 12 Goals | Barcelona |
| Kylian Mbappé | 13 Goals | Real Madrid |
| A. Gordon | 10 Goals | Newcastle |
| H. Kane | 8 Goals | Bayern München |
| E. Haaland | 7 Goals | Manchester City |
| J. Álvarez | 7 Goals | Atletico Madrid |
