In April, Federico Valverde was accused of punching Alex Baena after Real Madrid lost to Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu. The latter filed a complaint, although it has since been archived.
Valverde’s environment alleges that the altercation was brought on by comments made by Baena during a previous match between Villarreal and Real Madrid, during which the Spanish international is alleged to have said “cry now that your son is not going to be born”. However, Baena denied saying this.
Speaking to The Players Tribune (via Sport), Valverde broke his silence on the matter, and he admitted his regret at reacting to Baena.
“After a game in April against Villarreal, things hit rock bottom. Everyone knows the headlines. They know both sides of the “story.” I don’t want to bring up these ugly things again. All I want to say is this: on a football pitch you can call me almost whatever you want and it doesn’t bother me, but there are certain lines that don’t cross. Not as a footballer, but as a human being. Speaking of my family, it’s not football anymore. That day, a line was crossed.”
The background of the situation is that Valverde’s partner had been suffering from a high-risk pregnancy, although thankfully everything worked out okay, and his son, Bautista, was born earlier this year. However, before the birth, Valverde admitted that things were very tough.
“My wife suffered physically and mentally every day. I just shut down. I’m someone who encloses everything inside. I know it’s not healthy, but I’m honest. I never want anyone to see me cry, ever. Even my family. I felt like I had to be the rock, because everyone else was suffering. I was playing a character, you know?
“When I was alone, I cried for hours. I used to go to the bathroom for 15 minutes, and for 10 minutes I would cry with my head in my hands. On the morning of a game, when I was supposed to be focused and calm, I was lying in bed, thinking about our son, tossing and turning.
“Sometimes I didn’t play well, I knew that and I could hear the whistles of the fans. Then after the game, I had to answer questions from the media and I didn’t want to show my emotions or tell people what was going on. It was f****** hell.”
Fortunately, things now look to be better for Valverde and his family. He recently extended his contract at Real Madrid, where he looks set to remain as a key player for many years to come.
