The Charrúas, which were among the indigenous peoples of South America and lived mainly in today’s Uruguay, are, as far as is known, not related or related to the North American Sioux. And yet: if there is a football tribe that internalizes the words of the legendary Sioux chief Sitting Bull, it is the Uruguayans, whose football selection is popularly called the selección charrúa.
In the eyes of the Sioux, a warrior is not a fighter, but “someone who sacrifices himself for the good of others,” Sitting Bull is said to have said – and who does not think of that legendary handball by Luis Suárez at football World Cup 2010, for which he saw the red card in the quarter-final against Ghana, but with which he saved his team: Asamoah Gyan put the penalty due on the crossbar, Uruguay prevailed on penalties.
On Sunday, an Uruguayan followed in the footsteps of Suárez and the Sioux. Because at the Spanish Super Cup final against Atlético Madrid, he sacrificed himself, like a martyr, for the cause of his team Real Madrid. He saved Spain’s record champions on penalties – and then watched how his colleagues won 4: 1 from the chalk point.
Valverde still well served with red
It was the 115th minute when Atlético’s attacker Álvaro Morata was 0-0 on a very, very lonely journey towards Real Madrid’s goal. Federico Valverde, who had previously played a very good game as a defensive midfielder, ran after Morata, calculated his chances and came up with an understandable result. It said: I won’t catch up with him anymore. Especially not in time.
The consequence that Valverde drew from the assessment of the situation was a kick in Morata’s legs, which was sufficiently reminiscent of Antoni Goikoetxea’s brutal foul on Diego Maradona in 1983 to speak of luck that Morata was not on the operating table of a hospital landed in Jeddah, Spain’s association has moved the Supercup final to Saudi Arabia for 40 million euros annually. Judging by the case law there (just under 200 executions in 2019), Valverde was still well served when the referee pulled red.
Recognition for act of unfairness
Otherwise there was: basically only recognition for an act of unfairness. Diego Simeone gave Valverde an undoubtedly encouraging, maybe even appreciative pat on the back of the head when he left the lawn – which is why you have to know that Simeone is a coach at Atlético Madrid, including Morata. “It was the decisive scene of the final, he won it,” said Simeone, who also revealed what he had said to Valverde: “Don’t worry, everyone would have done the same in your place.”
At that moment he had to do it, and he did well.Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid coach
Real Madrid’s captain Sergio Ramos, in turn, hearted Valverde and shouted “de puta madre” in his ear, a “very excellent”, only in the unmistakable diction of the lawn. Toni Kroos, who won his 13th title with Real Madrid, did not want to speak the foul, but paid tribute to his colleague Valverde for possibly having saved his team from behind.
Coach Zinedine Zidane, who has now won nine of nine finals as a Real Madrid coach, rated it similarly. Valverde’s foul was “vulgar”, “but at that moment he had to do it and he did it well”.
Valverde will even be the MVP of the final
And Valverde? Was despite – or because of? – Awarded his action as MVP of the final. Say: as the best player in the game. This gave him, whom they call “pajarito” at home, the little bird, a remarkable appearance in the media. Valverde almost had to emphasize that he was happy about the title.
“What I did hurts like a thorn because it was wrong,” he said. He asked Morata for pardon, because “you shouldn’t commit such a foul on a colleague,” said Valverde – and was the only one who remotely remembered that the sport was once practiced in a spirit of fairness. And so Valverde was something of a lonely caller in the Arabian desert.
Created: 13/01/2020, 20:01 PM
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