On July 23, 2015, Fede Valverde (Montevideo, 1998) made his debut in Uruguayan professional football. It was in a preseason friendly between Peñarol, the team of his youth, and the Brazilian Cruzeiro, held at the Atilio Paiva Olivera stadium, a field located in the city of Rivera, in the north of Uruguay, just a few meters from the border with Brazil.

Peñarol ignites passions in half the country, sharing the support of fans with Nacional, and the match caught the attention of the local public, especially young soccer players in the area who wanted to see some of the future stars of the club up close. Above all the others, midfielder Fede Valverde, who a few months prior, in May, had signed a contract with Real Madrid. He had just turned 17 and would continue at Peñarol until he turned 18.

From one of the seats in the stands, Ronald Araújo (Rivera, 1999), who lived just a few meters from the stadium and had recently turned 16, watched Valverde’s professional debut in the 60th minute of the match. “Whenever a big team came to play in our department, we would go watch, we had the opportunity to see players. And I was in the stadium when Fede came in and made his debut,” the defender remembered. Today, they will meet again in a crucial rivalry match for the League. Madrid, elated after their victory in Manchester. Barça, deflated after their loss to PSG.

This connection between Valverde and Araújo reflects two very different realities in their football journeys. The Madrid player had the spotlight on him from the beginning, being a part of Uruguay’s youth teams since the age of 14, signing with Madrid at 16, making his debut with Peñarol at 17, flying to Spain at 18, going on loan to Deportivo, and making his debut with the Uruguayan senior team at 19, eventually establishing himself in the Madrid first team at 20…

Araújo, on the other hand, grew up playing for his hometown team. At the age of 9, he caught the attention of several scouts and even received offers from Danubio, a club in Montevideo, and Boca Juniors, but his family was not willing to let him go at such a young age. So he continued playing at home, where he witnessed Fede Valverde’s debut. Perhaps inspired by the luck of that other teenager, Araújo left Huracán de Rivera that same summer and moved to the big city, Montevideo, to sign with Rentistas, an up-and-coming team in Uruguayan football. Two years there helped him catch the attention of Boston River, also from the capital, and after twelve months with the club, he achieved his dream: Araújo signed with Barcelona in 2019, at the age of 20, and since then, nothing would be the same.

Today’s classic match is also the “charrúa” classic because it pits the two great pillars of Uruguayan football against each other. The defensive wall and the all-around midfielder, who, 9 years after that July afternoon in Rivera, have become key players for Real Madrid and Barcelona. Valverde will be one of the five captains for the white team next season and is already the captain of Uruguay, while Araújo already wears the armband for Barça, a true symbol of his importance on and off the field for his teams.

But the domestic rivalry doesn’t stop them from being “very good friends,” as sources close to both players explain. Despite his sporting success, Valverde comes from humble origins, and within the national team, his closest teammates are Araújo and Darwin Núñez.

The admiration is mutual. “Araújo fascinates me. I absolutely love him. Plus, he’s Uruguayan and a good friend of mine,” Valverde recently said. “It’s tough going up against Fede in the League, we all know the quality he possesses. And then having him on the national team is incredible because he’s an exceptional player. He lifts our level,” Araújo admitted last year. From Rivera to the Bernabéu.

Diego Simeone returned from San Francisco from the preseason with Atlético de Madrid at the beginning of August when he received the news of what had happened to his youngest son from his first marriage.. The coach, as soon as he landed in the capital, took the car, picked up his wife and headed to Vitoria where Giuliano would be operated on for a dislocated ankle and a broken fibula after a tough tackle in a friendly against Burgos.

“Thank you very much to everyone who was concerned and attentive.. Giuliano is already recovering and in very good hands,” was the text that the Argentine coach wrote on social networks accompanying a photo in which he appears shaking hands with his son after his surgical intervention.. Almost half a year later, the footballer returned to the pitch and this afternoon he has a parricidal duel in Mendizorroza.

“Physically and mentally I am already 100% recovered and with the minutes I am having on the field I feel much better. Personally, I'm also very happy,” says the player in the run-up to a “very special” match for him personally and very important for his team, which is only seven points away from safety.

Alavés, the team in which Cholo's son has played since this summer, faces Atlético de Madrid, a club to which he belongs and in which, for 12 years, he has had his father sitting on the bench. A team that already put the rojiblancos in trouble at the Metropolitano, although they ended up losing by two goals to one.

Simeone's son predicts an equally complicated match in Vitoria. “It will be a very disputed duel because Atlético does not negotiate the effort. You have to play an almost perfect game to get the three points. The two teams never give up a ball for lost,” he commented in a recent video.

Giuliano knows Atlético well. He was a player in the red and white quarry, which he joined from River Plate's youth football team.. Since he was little, he not only stood out as a forward, he also transcended the celebrations of the red and white goals by hugging his father when he was a ball boy for the first team.

His first professional experience came at the age of 20 when he was loaned to Second Division club Zaragoza.. There he was one of the most outstanding footballers of the team, finishing as top scorer with nine goals.

Atlético understood that they needed to continue working hard and this season they decided to give him up again.. On this occasion he went to the Vitorian team with which he suffered that mishap from which he recovered, during the first month, in Madrid with his partner and family.. Meanwhile, the player who injured him, Matos, a former Sevilla youth player and Burgos defender, continued to receive threats and calls of “murderer” or “butcher” on social networks.

Giuliano is a young man very attached to his people, as can be seen in his publications on social networks.. There are numerous images that show him not only with his father, but also with his brothers, also footballers.. Giovanni, who plays for Napoli and Gianluca who is playing for Tudelano, of the Second RFEF. He is also seen with his stepsisters, daughters of Carla Pereyra and Cholo.

This afternoon there will be another family photo, a new memory for the Simeone album. Only, as the meeting ends, one will show a wide smile and the other, probably, will not have the best of faces.. “It would be incredible to play, but the important thing is the three points,” confessed Giuliano. Father and son agree on what is important.

The atmosphere at Mestalla was filled with whistles as Isco stepped onto the field. This crowd knows better than anyone the potential of the player they once idolized during his youth. Isco, from Malaga, possesses incredible talent and magic, and all of Betis’ hopes and aspirations revolve around him. Paired with the lethal Ayoze, they rejuvenated the Andalusians’ fight for a spot in Europe, prevailing over a determined Valencia side that never gave up but ultimately paid the price for their lack of finishing ability. [Narrative and statistics]

Buoyed by the enthusiasm to secure a spot in Europe, Baraja’s youthful team started the match in a reactive manner, pushing the opposition into their own half and seeking to capitalize on the scoreboard with faith rather than tactical prowess. Mosquera delivered a cross and Cenk made an attempt to trouble the green and white team, but the path to harm their opponents was not clear. However, as soon as Isco started to exert his influence, Betis found their rhythm. They took the lead, playing with more intelligence and relying on the spark provided by the talented native of Malaga.

Isco became a specter that induced tremors among the Valencian fans. Guido found him on the left wing with a long pass, which he turned into a precise cross that Ayoze met with a well-placed shot, taking advantage of Mosquera’s slip. Mamardashvili was helpless against the goal. This strike left Baraja’s team stunned, feeling uneasy whenever Isco got possession of the ball. He accelerated and exploited spaces that no one could have imagined. He acts as the compass guiding the Sevillians, and the young Valencian defense was afraid, unable to anticipate the player who creates the most assists, dribbles, and scoring opportunities for the Andalusians. Isco, who also has five goals to his name, is knocking emphatically on Luis de la Fuente’s door on the eve of the Euro Cup.

Isco and Bakambu’s relentless pressure stifled Valencia’s attempts to play, relegating them to chase shadows and creating confusion whenever they tried to advance towards Rui Silva’s goal. Only in the dying moments of the first half did Valencia manage to take advantage of a chaotic play inside the box. After attempts by Almeida and Hugo Duro, Cenk had the chance to put Valencia in the lead, but he failed to convert.

Baraja sought to revitalize his team by bringing on Sergi Canós, but Betis continued to dominate proceedings, repeatedly forcing corners that tested Mamardashvili, with one particular save denying Pezzella’s header. However, Betis managed to regain their momentum. Sensing the need for change, Pellegrini looked to the bench and opted to protect Isco for the upcoming derby, introducing Fekir instead.

Unfortunately for Pellegrini, his fears were realized. After a shot from Fornals struck the post, Valencia grew in intensity. They pushed forward, earning two consecutive corners and ultimately being awarded a penalty that breathed life into their hopes. Miranda’s elbow made contact with Hugo Duro, prompting Busquets Ferrer to point to the spot, and Pepelu made sure not to miss, equalizing the score in the 65th minute. This penalty was the spark that ignited the fireworks.

Rui Silva had to come to Betis’ rescue once again, making a crucial save to deny Peter Federico’s shot from the right edge of the area, with Hugo Duro close to capitalizing on the rebound.

However, Betis quickly responded. Guido provided an assist to Ayoze, who calmly navigated his way towards the penalty area, evading challenges from Pepelu, Mosquera, and Cenk before unleashing a shot that grazed Jesús Vázquez’s heel, sending the ball past Mamardashvili. Once again, Betis seemed to have secured all three points, as Valencia struggled to mount a comeback, despite their efforts through Alberto Marí’s header and relentless pressure on Rui Silva.