Fede Valverde: "My son has made me mature and see that I no longer exist, it's everything for him"

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He left

, his family and

at the age of 18 to play for

, in which he made his debut against

.

A path of mud and villages that has taken him, six years later, to his first

.

(Montevideo, 1998), el

, was born two months after

and will now start in the assault on

.

One of the dreams of a life centered on his son

, on his family and on football, for which he had to change his diet and his mind.

He breaks it all down in a chat with

.

His first Champions League final.

The dream of his life, I imagine, along with the World Cup. Without a doubt.

The Champions, the World Cup and the Libertadores are cups that not all players can experience.

And I'm here... I hope Saturday is a great day and not a shitty Saturday for my whole life (laughs).

Hopefully we can win.

And then it will fill me with pride to get home and see my family. And he will be a starter.

Is a star created? No, no.

I don't think I'm a star, but I don't think I'm less than anyone either.

I have what I have and for a reason I have gotten to where I have, at Real Madrid, and for a reason I am ready to play in a final.

Obviously I don't show my chest, but I am proud to be who I am. How do you handle fame? I handle it quite well, with a lot of shame, but I have been improving it.

It is spectacular, very beautiful.

When I have to go look for my son,

that the children recognize you and greet you, or a dad, is always nice.

It happened to me a lot in Uruguay because football is usually lived there with a lot of passion, when Peñarol was recognized throughout the country. And what does your son (Benicio, two years old) say when they ask for photos?: «Who are you? Dad?»?.(Laughter) It's a beautiful and very rare feeling.

They come to ask me for photos and they stare at me as if to say: "What's going on?"

And sometimes he gets involved (laughs).

He is two years old and doesn't understand anything. I guess being a father has changed his life. And for the better.

Obviously there are times when you can't sleep at all.

And there I have the help of my wife, who has been essential in all this.

She is a spectacular mom and she has always shown it.

Many nights she has had to work a lot, she would get up and tell me "rest, your job is soccer".

... The truth is that it is admirable, and when the footballer is well it is thanks to the support of the family and the house. Has he matured? Yes, yes, quite a bit, although sometimes I am still a jerk.

Being a father has made me grow up and go into the background.

I have three much older brothers and I grew up almost as an only child, he was everything to me, he was everyone's attention... My son has made me see everything differently, I no longer exist, he is everything to him.

I play soccer to achieve things on a personal level and for him to live peacefully and be happy. Are you afraid of the kind of life they are going to have?

Fame, television, being recognized... I don't usually think about it, but sometimes it can be hard.

I may be used to this life, not going out much, being at home with my family or being recognized on the street, but it can be difficult for him.

But he is he

a different person.

He has to have his goals, his studies, his work... He will disappoint me a lot and I will feel sorry if he sticks his neck out for me because he is his son.

I am going to be glad that he recognizes me as his father, as a reference, but I want him to maintain that humility with which I grew up, without being anyone.

JAVIER BARBANCHOMUNDO

Have you talked to your mother about that famous dream in which "people in white were yelling at me in a stadium"? Yes, quite a lot.

And the day we won the league was the first time my parents walked onto the pitch and heard people yelling my name.

They began to cry.

One can imagine many things when he arrives in Madrid, a beautiful city, titles, a better life... But being cheered by a stadium is very nice. When he goes to Uruguay, what do people say to him? It's spectacular.

Madrid is a very big city and football is lived, but it is not lived like in Uruguay.

There, anyone on the street recognizes you because of the passion with which football is lived there.

Arriving at the airport, being loved, being loved by my son, my son! Sometimes my son is better known than me (laughs).

I work to be a reference in Madrid,

but I would also love to be a captain and a reference in my country. You started the year with an injury, but now nobody understands the Madrid eleven without you.

They say that one of the keys has been the change in food. Yes.

I'm not going to tell you that I didn't take 100% care of myself, but sometimes I let myself go.

He didn't eat badly, but maybe after a game he didn't eat as well as he should.

We have fought a lot at home, with my wife, friends, agent... We have argued a lot about food.

I am very closed and it is quite difficult for me to accept things, I said no, that I was doing things well, that it was because of other things that I did not play for.

And one day I traveled with the national team and my mind clicked.

I told myself: "If I want to do great things, I have to improve, be more mature, professional and have respect for where I am."

Madrid doesn't buy you every day.

We talked to a nutritionist, we improved our diet, I went to Uruguay and I flew, I played very well and that made me change.

I felt better than ever.

I have not stopped eating something specific, but I have had more control. Has the mental aspect also worked?

Why? Yes, I started working with a coach.

It's like the food thing, it was a couple of days where I said, "I have to change."

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

I went to Uruguay and I flew, I played very well and that made me change.

I felt better than ever.

I have not stopped eating something specific, but I have had more control. Has the mental aspect also worked?

Why? Yes, I started working with a coach.

It's like the food thing, it was a couple of days where I said, "I have to change."

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

I went to Uruguay and I flew, I played very well and that made me change.

I felt better than ever.

I have not stopped eating something specific, but I have had more control. Has the mental aspect also worked?

Why? Yes, I started working with a coach.

It's like the food thing, it was a couple of days where I said, "I have to change."

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

but I have had more control. Has the mental aspect also worked?

Why? Yes, I started working with a coach.

It's like the food thing, it was a couple of days where I said, "I have to change."

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

but I have had more control. Has the mental aspect also worked?

Why? Yes, I started working with a coach.

It's like the food thing, it was a couple of days where I said, "I have to change."

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

The change in food and the coach have enhanced my career.

My head was quite stubborn, very tough, both on and off the field.

If I have to hit a wall in order to continue with my ideas, I give up.

Coaching has made me mature a lot in that, in opening my head more, in listening more to the people around me... That has benefited me and the result is that I am not going to let go of this opportunity.

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