Real Madrid News
Uruguay coach clears the air with Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde: ‘I never had any problems’
The Uruguay national team is one of the sides that disappointed the most at the ongoing FIFA World Cup as they were eliminated in the group stages against all expectations.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men drew two and lost one of their three group stage games, scoring three and conceding four goals at the event.
In the days leading up to their final game against Spain, there was already palpable internal tension and news of a rift between the manager and the players.
Federico Valverde is said to have led a rebellion against the manager’s methods, and Bielsa has now stepped down as coach of the NT in light of the developments.
Bielsa explains his relationship with Valverde
The recent Uruguay NT manager Marcelo Bielsa spoke to the media in the aftermath of his team’s shocking group stage elimination.
Among the many topics he addressed was Real Madrid’s captain, Federico Valverde.
Bielsa was full of praise for the midfield star and even called it one of his ‘dreams’ to have coached the player.
“When I joined Uruguay, I dreamed of coaching Fede Valverde,” he said.
He then cleared the air of any misunderstanding or rift with the player and explained how Valverde was one of the easiest players to work with.
“I never had any problems with Valverde.”
“I’ve never made more concessions than I did for Valverde, because he deserves it,” he added.
On the player’s versatility
The manager then went on to praise Valverde for his versatility and open-mindedness as much as he praised his humility, stating that the player was ready to play anywhere on the field as long as it helped the team.
“I told Valverde that I might play him as an RB, and I listed 5 LW’s he was able to stop with Real Madrid,” he began.
“I also told him he might play as an RW, or in his main position as a midfielder,” he added.
Bielsa finally repeated the words that Valverde told him when faced with the situation of uncertainty around his role in the team.
“His response was: ‘Play me wherever the team needs coach’.”
Source: Diario AS
Real Madrid will be looking to pick up their fifth win of the 2026/27 La Liga season when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero later tonight.
With 12 points from five games, Los Blancos are currently second in the league table, three points below leaders FC Barcelona.
As such, the Spanish capital club will be eager to get the win and close the gap to the top.
Guler starts, Bellingham rested
Ahead of kickoff, Real Madrid have announced the starting lineup that will take the field against Elche, with Jose Mourinho making some important changes.
For starters, Arda Guler is back in the lineup after appearing as a substitute in the win over Rayo Vallecano.
Interestingly, however, he starts in the attacking midfield role, with Mourinho opting to rest Jude Bellingham, who has started all of Real Madrid’s games so far.
That also means that Yan Diomande retains his place in the team, starting for a second time in a row on the right wing. Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. continue in their respective positions in attack.
Another notable change sees Aurelien Tchouameni make his first start of the season after recovering from injury and making two appearances off the bench.
He replaces Bernardo Silva as Federico Valverde’s partner in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella come in as full-backs, while Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen slot in at centre-back in front of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro XI inicial!
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) September 15, 2026
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