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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| APYonhap News |
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Uruguay midfielder Federico Valverde (26, Real Madrid) feels as if he has a battery that is not worn out.
Since last summer, he has been on the ground for nearly a year without a break. He doesn't seem tired even though he runs more than any of his colleagues. The nickname given by Real fans is 'Three Lunged Midfielder'. Some argue that Valverde has eight lungs.
Valverde has played 65 games and 5,162 minutes so far as of the 2023-2024 season. He played 37 matches in the Spanish Primera Liga, 4 in the Spanish Cup, 13 in the European Champions League, and 11 for Uruguay. It's about one game every five days.
As a member of Real, he played more, longer, and consistently than anyone else in the team's La Liga and Champions League. Because he was a midfielder, he played a relatively large number of games per game. Filled in the lack of energy from veterans Luca Modric and Toni Kroos. It didn't distinguish between a central midfielder and a side midfielder. Real had its best season, winning La Liga and the Champs 'Double with the best midfield combination centered on Valverde.
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Valverde was also 'irreplaceable' in Uruguay. He played in 11 games, including six Latin American qualifiers for the 2026 North-China World Cup, four in Copa America in 2024, and a friendly match against Ivory Coast in March. He missed only a friendly match against Mexico in June.
He played 40 full-time games this season alone. Even if it is calculated at 10 kilometers per race, it is calculated that he ran more than 650 kilometers inside the stadium.
Valverde's season is not over yet. Uruguay reached the semifinals by beating Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Copa America by a penalty shootout. Valverde hit the net with a shot in the shootout. He will compete with Colombia in the final on Wednesday. If he advances to the finals, he will play up to 67 games.
Valverde deserves to be an example of player abuse that the International Football Association (FIFPRO) is concerned about.
In October last year, FIFPRO expressed health concerns that South Korea's captain Son Heung-min (Tottenham) played 47 games for his team, 11 games for the national team, and a total of 58 games from September 2022 to September 2023, and traveled 77,000 kilometers between his team and the national team.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
