Valverde ‘hates Lee Kang-in tackles’: “Saudi? I play for the best team in the world?”
Federico Valverde (27, Real Madrid), who has been labeled a “hater” because of his bad blood with Lee Kang-in, says he would never go to a Saudi club.
“It would be impossible for me to go to the Saudi league,” Valverde said in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Movistar, according to Goal.com.
The Uruguayan midfielder is a key resource for Real. He moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2016, and after a brief loan spell, began playing for the club in the 2018-2019 season.
Valverde played alongside Real legends such as Cristiano Ronaldo (39, Al Nasr) and Karim Benzema (37, Al Ittihad). Now that Ronaldo and Benzema have both left for the Saudi league, Valverde, who would have shared daily routines in the locker room, will have his work cut out for him.
“I think I’ve made a lot of progress with the players here,” Valverde says. Ronaldo, for example, shows what he wants and what qualities are important to have,” he said.
“It’s really impossible to go to Saudi Arabia. It’s not possible,” “10, 20, 30 million euros is not going to change my life,” and “I’m at Real Madrid, the best club in the world. I love my life in Madrid and so does my family. That’s it,” he emphasized.
Valverde anchors Real’s midfield, combining speed, passing, and shooting ability. His physicality is complemented by his technical skills and his off-the-ball movement. He is also the captain of the Uruguayan national team.
He is also the captain of the Uruguayan national team. After scoring a goal in the quarterfinals of the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Nan Daejeon, South Korea, he was criticized for performing a gesture that was degrading to Asians.
In particular, Valverde sparked controversy when he gave Lee a violent uppercut after a tackle during the group stage of the World Cup in Qatar while representing Uruguay. He also made a dangerous tackle on Lee during a La Liga match in February last year when Lee was playing for Mallorca.