"I take the blame" - Real Madrid star issues apology to teammates and fans after 2-1 loss to Athletic Club
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has issued an apology to his teammates and the club's fans after their defeat to Athletic Club in LaLiga on December 4. The reigning champions suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the San Mames, further falling behind rivals Barcelona in the league standings.
Having watched Barcelona wallop Mallorca on Tuesday, Real Madrid needed to respond with a similar show of force to remain within touching distance of the Catalan side. Los Blancos, however, failed to make their mark, and were defeated 2-1 by Ernesto Valverde's side.
Uruguay international Federico Valverde was mostly at fault for the winning goal scored by the Basque club, as he lost possession in a sensitive area. The midfielder took to Instagram after the game to send a heartfelt apology to the players and fans, writing:
“Today was a hard blow, but I take the blame… I face it and I apologize. For my teammates and the fans.”
“There is still a long way to go, many competitions and I am sure that there will be many joys."
Real Madrid suffered a first league defeat to Athletic Club since 2015, ending a run of 18 games and nearly 10 years without losing to the Basque outfit. In what was an eventful clash at San Mames, Kylian Mbappe also missed a penalty, his second such miss in a week, during the game.
Los Blancos find themselves in second place on 33 points, four points behind rivals Barcelona, who have played a game more. Carlo Ancelotti's side suffered a first league defeat since their 4-0 thrashing in El Clasico, ending a run of three successive wins.
Real Madrid stumble to defeat against Athletic Club
Spanish champions Real Madrid suffered a second league defeat of the season, falling 2-1 to Athletic Club at their San Mames home. The defeat was their first to the Basque club since March 2015, indicating how much they have dominated this encounter.
Athletic Club were not keen to let history repeat itself and they went ahead in the 53rd minute through forward Alex Berenguer. The visitors were handed a lifeline in the second half when goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala fouled Antonio Rudiger, leading to a penalty. Kylian Mbappe stepped up and hit the penalty, only to see Agirrezabala pull off a save to keep the scores at 1-0.
Real Madrid eventually found their leveler in the 78th minute, when Jude Bellingham slammed home the rebound after a shot from Mbappe was saved. However, their parity lasted just two minutes. Gorka Guruzeta pounced on a poor ball at the back from Federico Valverde to slot home and give his side all three points on the night.