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Fede Valverde turned down the penalty against Manchester City: why did Vinicius take it?
Federico Valverde was the standout player for Real Madrid in the victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Federico Valverde was the standout player for Real Madrid in the victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
The Uruguayan midfielder scored three goals at the Santiago Bernabéu, but after the match he revealed that he could also have taken the penalty that was eventually missed by Vinícius Júnior.
What happened between Valverde and Vinicius over the penalty?
With Real Madrid already leading 3-0, Vinicius was brought down inside the box and won a penalty that could have virtually sealed the tie.
However, the Brazilian forward missed the shot against Gianluigi Donnarumma.
After the match, Valverde explained how the decision was made.
“Vinicius is a very important player for us. He asked me if I wanted to take the penalty, but I told him to take it himself. Many of my teammates thought the same,” Valverde said to TNT Brasil.
He also downplayed the miss.
“Things like that can happen. It’s part of football. If he had scored it would have been an incredible night, but penalties can be scored or missed.”
Valverde had already refused a penalty against Manchester City
This was not the first time Valverde decided not to take a penalty against Manchester City.
In the 2023–2024 Champions League quarterfinals, the two teams met after a 3-3 draw in the first leg and a goalless second leg.
Valverde was initially among the players expected to take a penalty, but he chose not to due to fatigue.
“If you don’t feel right, you’re not less of a footballer for telling the truth. That night I went to bed with the regret of not leaving my mark for Real Madrid,” he said at the time.
