WATCH: Fede Valverde’s silent protest that has made rift with Xabi Alonso headline news | OneFootball

Real Madrid star Fede Valverde is one of the most senior figures at the club, and very much in line to be captain at some point down the line. However he is surprisingly at the centre of a rift with new manager Xabi Alonso.

One of the major question marks facing Alonso before he took the job was how he would handle the major egos at the Bernabeu. Rodrygo Goes has become familiar with the bench, and Vinicius Junior has also seen his position weakened, but few saw Valverde as one of those egos that he would be ‘managing’.

Valverde’s malcontent ahead of Kairat Almaty game

Ahead of the game, Valverde was expected to start, and at right-back, in light of the injuries to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal. That was in spite of declarations that he was ‘not born to play right-back’, but had never refused to play there. Yet Valverde was on the bench as Los Blancos took on Kairat Almaty, and Marca report that he was the only one of the substitutes that was not involved in the warm-up, preferring instead to sit on the bench.

Image via EFE / ABC

Valverde’s lack of warm-up

The Uruguayan exemplified his discontent once again during the game. Sent out to warm up with Eduardo Camavinga and Jude Bellingham, the Uruguayan was seen standing with his hands behind his back, watching the game. He did not go through any exercises, and unsurprisingly, did not get on.

Xabi Alonso facing first major tests

Following on from a harrowing defeat to Atletico Madrid, Los Blancos did get a 5-0 win over Kairat to ease tensions, but the reaction of Real Madrid will be measured against Villarreal this weekend, and Barcelona later this month. Valverde’s challenge to his leadership, and Real Madrid’s second major loss under him, represent the first major tests for the Basque manager.