Mourinho backs Valverde at right-back for Real Madrid, unlike Alonso

Federico Valverde has become José Mourinho’s preferred option at right-back for Real Madrid. Under Xabi Alonso, his appearances in the position had been a makeshift solution when Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold were unavailable.

According to the article, Valverde played at right-back against Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup and against Villarreal at the start of the new season because of injuries to Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold. Under Mourinho, meanwhile, the involvement of Alexander-Arnold and Denzel Dumfries has declined despite their specialisation in the position, and Alexander-Arnold played only one minute in the Clásico.

The article notes that Valverde was reluctant to play at right-back under Alonso, but now appears more accepting of the task. Mourinho linked this to the player’s responsibility to the team, saying that wearing the Real Madrid captain’s armband means being ready to play in any position the club needs.

The article argues that having Valverde on the right gives Mourinho additional options in midfield, but raises two possibilities as to why the player has accepted the task: he is convinced that he should sacrifice his preferred position, or he is avoiding an objection that could allow one of the full-backs to regain his starting place.