Fede Valverde answered the media’s questions before the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona tomorrow (Sunday 8:00 pm CET). The midfielder said: “Tomorrow is another final and obviously it's very important. It's the first title of the year and we come into the game with a lot of confidence. We are playing well after a first few months that were not as good as we had hoped and I think that tomorrow we have a great opportunity to start the year strongly, with confidence and excitement about the chance of winning”.
The importance of winning the Spanish Super Cup
“The trophy is very important, especially because of the confidence it gives you to face the rest of a hard season and the main thing, fighting for every available title. Whenever we have won it, it has always given us an important boost to take into the other competitions. Obviously, our opponent is special and we hope to give the best account of ourselves”.
Starter in every game
“I'm thrilled to be able to continue playing in all the matches, especially as a starter. I am very happy that the coach backs me to play whatever the match is. In the Copa del Rey we had a chat and he told me that I was one of those who should have a rest but we agreed that I would play 45 minutes. He was happy and I'm happy because I'm still playing matches for this club and trying to make my mark and etch my name in the best club in the world Real Madrid, which gives me tremendous happiness. I am proud to listen to my parents, the people close to me, my wife.... and for my children to continue seeing me play for this club is wonderful. In July I'll have time to rest.
How do you recover to be always available?
“Rest more than anything. We don't have much to do right now. I'm away from the kids and there is nothing harder or more tiring than playing with them 24/7. I take advantage of the quietness of my room, chat with teammates, which also strengthens the group. It’s the same with the physios, doctors and all the staff who do their best to help us prepare the games better. We are a group, a team and we are all pulling in the same direction, and that’s what’s important.
As a footballer, what do you think about the Olmo and Pau Víctor situation?
“I'm not going to give my opinion on anything that doesn't concern me because that’s not my job. My duty is to give my all for Real Madrid, to fight for this club and to do the best I can. Putting myself in their shoes, it is difficult because a player always wants to play. It is difficult to train knowing that you are not going to play in matches. That passion that most of us players have to pull on the shirt... it must be hard. Let them keep training and preparing. These are not nice situations for players to deal with.”
Relationship with Ancelotti
“The important thing is that we have never had arguments or conflict as people seem to think. I don't use social networks and it was a surprise when people close to me sent me messages about what had happened. The coach wants the best for the team, without any doubt. At home, my wife wants the best for me. I can't stand here and argue about who’s right and who’s wrong. Both sides have defended their position. The coach has defended the team and my wife has defended me, as I am her partner and the father of her children. It's completely understandable and normal. The important thing is that the coach and I are honest with each other, there are no misunderstandings and we tell each other the truth. After the match, we didn't discuss it because I didn't know anything. A few days later we had a chat and that's all there was to it. I wasn’t angry because of what my wife said, and she wasn’t angry with what the coach, the boss in this case, said. I have to continue training as well as I can and be a leader in the dressing room”.
Can you score 30 goals as Ancelotti says?
“It's very difficult to score more goals than our forwards at Real Madrid. I don't think about it. I try to do my job, which is to help in defense and attack and contribute whatever the team needs. As for what happened with Morata in the Super Cup, I'm not going to say whether it was right or wrong, the situation was what it was. I made that split-second decision and it was the right thing for the team. I'll stick with that.

What headline would you choose if you beat Barcelona tomorrow?
“Tricky. We players experience euphoric moments. When you finish a match, if you lose you are raging and if you win you are euphoric. What Nacho and Modrić said previously is understandable. If we win tomorrow we demonstrate yet again that we are the best club in the world. We can have bad games or not-so-good games but we are always the team that is winning everything and I'll take that.”
Have you spoken to Mbappé about the offsides?
“I can't give lessons to a player who is already a World Cup winner at a young age, who has played in another World Cup final, who has won everything and is a legend in France and one of the best players in the world. He knows what he has to do. We are here to be by his side and support him. Obviously, we have to think about Barcelona’s high line because it is working well, but our midfielders and defenders in particular have to take care with this as we are the ones who can provide the assists”.
How did you feel about what happened against Mallorca?
“These are football things, they happen. When you lose you are riled up and angry and when you win you are on cloud nine. They are different situations. After 90 minutes of running box-to-box, what’s on your mind might escape. These are football things and both teams were responsible. We’ve left it there and tomorrow we face another final”.
How much appetite for revenge is there from the last Clasico?
“A lot. It was a horrible day and it was difficult to get to sleep after that. You don't expect to lose by such a wide margin. It was hard because we were excited about giving a good performance. We believed we could win, especially with the chances we had in the first half giving us extra belief. In the second half, they came out better and we were not so focused. We didn't do things well, with the necessary perfection and that hurt us. But that fired us up and gave us the strength to move forward and become the team we are today”.
Change in the team's dynamic and the Super Cup final five years ago.
“The Morata thing was special for me. Thanks to that and the penalty shootout we were able to win another title. My name grew from that moment on. The important thing is that I'm still at this club wearing the jersey and that's what matters.”
“Sometimes defeats make a team stronger and it grows a lot as a result. After so many games and so many titles won last year, although it sounds bad, it was good for us to lose and to change that situation. We don't have to believe we are better than anyone else, we have to continue being the same, being humble to strengthen the group and the team”.