Federico Valverde Apologises for Foul on Alvaro Morata in Spanish Super Cup

Federico Valverde said he had no choice but to bring Alvaro Morata down in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.

Real Madrid midfielder Valverde was red-carded deep into extra time after chopping down Morata. The Atletico Madrid striker was through on goal and poised to strike before Valverde made his tactical foul.

Despite his dismissal, Valverde was still named MVP for the final, a game Real won 4-1 on penalties, with Thibaut Courtois saving Thomas Partey's spot-kick.

Valverde offered his apologies afterwards, per Omnisport (h/t Yahoo Sports UK): "I apologise to Alvaro Morata. I know it's not good what I did, but I didn't have any other option."

While his employment of the dark arts might have upset some, Valverde received an unlikely endorsement from Diego Simeone. The Atleti boss defended the 21-year-old's actions, telling reporters: "I think the award for the best player makes perfect sense because Valverde won the game with that action. It was the most important play of the game."

However, not everybody was impressed by Valverde's behaviour being rewarded:

With the trophy in hand, Valverde's apologies may ring hollow in Morata's ears. After all, the player had taken what many would consider an underhand route to winning.

However, Valverde also emphasised how hard he's worked to attain his success this season:

The Uruguay international has been a breakout star. His performances have earned him regular minutes even in a midfield as loaded as Real's.

Los Merengues still boast arguably the most balanced central trio in Europe. Casemiro is the archetypal enforcer at the base, while Luka Modric remains a conductor with few equals in the middle, and Toni Kroos is productive between the lines.

Refreshing this ageing group, Modric is 34, while Kroos is 30, has been a looming headache for manager Zinedine Zidane. Yet Valverde is easing the problem thanks to his increasingly assured performances.

His active displays during the Super Cup in Saudi Arabia have offered further evidence of his rapid development:

Real are still ageing at other positions beyond midfield. Leading scorer Karim Benzema is 32, while skipper and key defender Sergio Ramos is 33.

Valverde's emergence as a potential midfield talisman will save Real a fortune on the transfer market. He already looks like a player Zidane can build around as he attempts to construct a younger, winning team.