According to AS, following Uruguay's early exit from the World Cup, Valverde's situation at both international and club level is under scrutiny.

Uruguay's World Cup failure is undeniable. The fact that Uruguay failed to qualify from a group containing Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia speaks volumes about their dismal performance. It was a collective disaster, but certain individuals were singled out, including Valverde. This World Cup particularly compounded his troubles.

Before the decisive match against Spain, Valverde was one of the players who had a confrontation with Bielsa. He was substituted with over half an hour remaining. Bielsa explained the substitution by saying: "I wanted to add attacking power." After Uruguay's elimination, frustrated supporters targeted him especially: "Valverde, go back to Real Madrid and don't come back, because you did nothing here, not in the qualifiers, not in the World Cup."

For Valverde, this was not an isolated incident. Rather, it was the latest blow in a season he would prefer to forget. His statistics were still respectable, scoring 9 goals and providing 13 assists for Real Madrid, but he managed only 1 goal across all World Cup qualifying matches for Uruguay. His performances in those matches were also unremarkable, and what truly damaged him this season was undoubtedly what happened off the pitch—particularly his relationship with his coach.

His relationship with Bielsa ended on poor terms. At Real Madrid, he was also viewed as one who clashed with Xabi Alonso. He had publicly refused to play as a right-back, though he later denied this; in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he also had a controversial warm-up session that was interpreted as a challenge to Xabi Alonso.

Following Xabi Alonso's departure, Valverde bore the brunt of the crowd's jeers. After working with Arbeloa, he adapted better and his form improved, but his reputation had already been significantly damaged. Then the incident with Tchouaméni further tarnished his image: he had a confrontation with the French player on two consecutive days, and on the second day, he fell after being struck, hit his head, and even lost consciousness and was taken to hospital.

Both players were fined €500,000 and subsequently returned to regular team training and matches. But the rift remained.

Mourinho must navigate all of this. Real Madrid considers Valverde crucial, and regarding Tchouaméni, the club has suggested that a transfer could be considered if circumstances are favorable. Valverde is also set to become the first-choice captain following Carvajal's departure.

Mourinho plans to give Valverde a key role at Real Madrid, in a team that will emphasize counterattacking and exploiting attacking spaces. The only silver lining of Uruguay's premature exit is that Mourinho and Valverde can work together almost from the start of Real Madrid's preseason.

Traduzido por IA.

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