"This is Valverde, one of the most versatile players in football." Jose Mourinho opened his post-match briefing by talking about Federico Valverde, not the Real Madrid scoreline. After the 4-1 win over Sevilla, he said he had to leave two quality full-backs on the bench to use Valverde at right-back, and joked that if the captain had to play goalkeeper, he would hand him the gloves.
Valverde's role at right-back
Mourinho's selection call was not just a one-off bit of improvisation. Valverde has already made 9 La Liga appearances this season, played 685 minutes and carries a 7.01 league rating, while his Champions League mark sits at 7.21. Those numbers fit the idea Mourinho pushed in public, that Valverde can cover almost any role and still deliver at a high level.
He also framed the decision as a matter of squad balance rather than a gamble. With two full-backs left out, Mourinho said he wanted a player behind Endrick with attacking flair and the quality to play, and Valverde was the choice.
The refereeing row Mourinho would not join
The other flashpoint came from Arda Güler and Sevilla's complaint that he should have been sent off in the 25th minute. Luis García Plaza said the match should have become 11 against 10 from that point, but Mourinho refused to endorse the claim.
He said he had no clear image of the incident, had asked for TV footage and tactical-camera angles, and would only speak if evidence emerged by Saturday. That leaves the argument open, but his own position was plain enough, he would not back a refereeing complaint he could not see clearly.
Mourinho has already moved on to RB Leipzig, saying Wednesday is the only match on his mind. Real Madrid will face Leipzig in the Champions League, and after the Sevilla win he has made clear that rotation, rather than noise around the referee, is where his attention sits.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
