Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid (ATM) are set to meet in the fourth-place match of the Supercopa de España at 4 a.m. on Nov. 11, and the deadly backtack by Real midfielder Federico Valverde that ended ATM's chances of winning the title in 2020 has become a hot topic.
In the 2019-2020 Supercopa final between Real and ATM, the two teams went into extra time tied at 0-0. But in the 10th minute of the second half of extra time, with five minutes left to play, ATM striker Alvaro Morata received a brilliant pass on the counterattack and sprinted for about 40 meters. Real defenders Valverde and Dani Carvajal chased after him, but couldn't catch him.
At this point, Valverde threw himself into the fray and back-tackled Morata. Morata immediately went down, showing a mixture of disappointment and anger, and Valverde was immediately shown a red card and sent off for interfering with a clear scoring chance.
Unable to break the deadlock with just over five minutes remaining, the two teams went to penalties, where Real won 4-1. It was their first title since the 2017-2018 season.
Valverde's performance on the day was met with heaven and earth reviews from both sides. While Real fans applauded Valverde for his daring back-tackle that saved the team from conceding a goal, ATM fans strongly criticized the move as unsportsmanlike.
And now, ahead of the two teams meeting again in the Supercopa this season, Valverde himself has shared his thoughts on the back-tackle.
Spanish outlet Marca published a pre-match press conference with Valverde on September 9, in which he was asked if he would repeat the tackle, to which he replied, "Of course. I would do it again," he said, adding that he was proud of it.
"If we were losing 0-3, I wouldn't have made the tackle (because goals don't matter)," he said, "but it was the final and it was 0-0. I would have made the same tackle for my team and for the values I hold dear." "You have to be ready to put everything down for your team," he said.
Valverde's sacrifice was also appreciated by ATM coach Diego Simeone. "Valverde is a true Man of the Match (MOM)," he said in a press conference after a heartbreaking loss in 2020, "and he did what he should have done. The MOM should be given to the best player of the match. Valverde won the game with that tackle, so he's a true MOM."
At the time, he patted Valverde on the head as he left after being sent off, an uncharacteristically generous gesture from an adversary. 카지노사이트가이드
Valverde raised eyebrows at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when he made an outrageous tackle on Lee Kang-in, immediately followed by a fist pump and roar. The following February, he was heavily criticized by South Korean soccer fans after he smirked while knocking down Mallorca ace Lee Kang-in in a La Liga match between Real and Mallorca.
Real will be in the hunt for the trophy for the first time in two years after the 2021-2022 season. In addition to Real and ATM, the other side of the quarterfinal bracket features last season's Copa del Rey (Spanish FA Cup) runners-up CA Osasuna and last season's La Liga champions FC Barcelona. If Real wins the tournament, it will be their 13th title, just behind Barcelona, who have won the competition 14 times.
Both the quarterfinals and the final will be held in Saudi Arabia starting on Nov. 11.