Real Madrid captain Valverde benched for Champions League game at AEK Athens
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Real Madrid captain Federico Valverde was left on the bench for the Champions League trip to AEK Athens.
Mourinho calls him the starting right-back, so his minutes are worth watching.
Background
Federico Valverde is a Uruguayan footballer and the captain of Real Madrid, normally a midfielder but used by manager José Mourinho as an option at right-back. He felt pain in the back of his right thigh during the first half of the El Clásico win over Barcelona but played on until he was substituted in the 62nd minute, and medical tests on the following Wednesday confirmed he had not suffered a muscle injury. Mourinho has since said Valverde is now the starting right-back and will only play in midfield occasionally, which made his absence from the starting XI against AEK Athens notable.
How it unfolded
- Oct 28, 2026Medical tests confirmed Valverde had not suffered a muscle injury, and he was reported available for the weekend match against Racing de Santander.
- Nov 2, 2026Valverde returned to training with the first team.
- Nov 4, 2026Ahead of the Champions League trip to AEK Athens, Mourinho confirmed Valverde is the starting right-back and will only play in midfield occasionally.
- Nov 4, 2026Valverde was not among the starters against AEK Athens; Denzel Dumfries took his place on the right of the defense, with Valverde and Trent Alexander-Arnold available from the bench.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Mourinho said he sees Valverde as an extremely important player for the team, that being captain makes him look at things differently, and that he would play wherever the team needs him.
- Party
- Valverde said in a recent interview that he will play anywhere in order to help the team, and after El Clásico said his leg bothered him a little after a slide tackle but it was more out of precaution.
Still unverified
It remains an open question whether Mourinho will put Valverde in the starting lineup or manage his minutes to prevent further discomfort; one report says the most likely reason for his benching against AEK Athens was physical.