Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says he would have done exactly the same thing Federico Valverde did after the Real Madrid midfielder’s match-saving professional foul in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The Uruguayan was shown a straight red card for taking down Alvaro Morata as the striker burst clean through on goal deep into extra-time on Sunday, with Real winning the penalty shootout that followed.
Valverde sought out Alvaro Morata after the match to say sorry for his foul, but Atletico coach Simeone feels there is no need for the midfielder to apologise.
‘I think the award for the best player makes perfect sense because Valverde won the game with that action,’ said Simeone at his post-match press conference.
‘It was the most important play of the game. If the play continued, it was possibly a goal.’
When Valverde left the pitch he was jeered by the crowd but got support from Zinedine Zidane and Simeone as he made his way past the dugout.
Simeone continued: ‘I told him not to worry, that he did what he had to do. We will see how many days [suspension] they give him.’
Valverde was grateful for Diego Simeone’s support, saying: ‘I want to recognize Simeone, who also came over and said some words that I won’t say. But I want to highlight it because nobody does it.’
Real comfortably won the shootout 4-1, with Spanish defender Sergio Ramos scoring the cup-winning final penalty, and he too heaped praises on Valverde for taking one for the club.
Asked if he would have done the same thing too, Ramos told reporters: ‘Yes, I think any player in our squad would have done it in that situation. It was a key move that had to be stopped.’
On his penalty, he added: ‘I always take the fourth penalty due to superstition, not because it had been calculated that I’d take the winning penalty.
‘I had planned on taking a Panenka penalty, but I didn’t have the ankle to do lots of little steps. My ankle is a bit f***ed. I was a bit scared and, as time passed, it seized up and hurt more. But once you’re in the game and know there’s so much to play for, you forget the pain.’
