I injured Zidane’s son: megastar feared the Real axe

Federico Valverde has revealed the moment he feared his Real Madrid career might be over before it had truly begun. Speaking on the Spanish-language podcast Terapia Picante, the 27-year-old Uruguayan recalled an incident from his early days at Valdebebas that left him convinced he would be shown the door: an accidental training-ground collision that left Luca Zidane with a damaged shoulder.

“I injured Luca Zidane’s shoulder. I wanted the ground to swallow me up,” Valverde said, still wincing at the memory. “I thought they were going to kick me out — I had injured Zidane’s son.”

At the time, Zinedine Zidane was already on the club’s payroll and would soon step into the first-team dugout, amplifying Valverde’s anxiety. The midfielder, then a raw hopeful, braced for repercussions that never arrived. No sanction followed; instead, Valverde knuckled down, earned promotion after promotion, and has since become indispensable to the Spanish giants.

Today, the incident is little more than a cautionary tale the Uruguayan laughs about, proof that even the most precarious beginnings can lead to stellar careers.