Federico Valverde at right-back has split opinion once again, after Jose Mourinho was forced to call upon the Real Madrid star in that position this season. The Uruguayan has insisted before that he wasn't born to play in the back line, and the argument over which role suits his technical and physical attributes best is right back at the top of the agenda.
Valverde made his feelings on full-back duty clear in September 2025 during his stay in Almaty, Kazakhstan, remarks taken at the time as a dig at his former coach Xabi Alonso, who used him there out of tactical necessity. Carlo Ancelotti had done the same thing before him.
Reservations or not, he was superb against Villarreal, setting up the winner for team-mate Yan Diomande and proving he can contribute well outside his natural position. Mourinho clarified his stance after the match, saying: "We have two good full-backs, but Fede's situation was exceptional."
Real Madrid legends disagree over Valverde's position
Spanish newspaper "AS" put the question to five former Real Madrid players: Fernando Hierro, Guti, Ivan Campo, Rafael Alkorta and Miguel Torres. Each drew on their own experience of playing in different positions to give a verdict on the most suitable role for the Uruguayan.
Hierro, one of the finest defenders in the club's history, reckons versatility isn't always a blessing. Constantly shuffling a player around can damage his self-confidence, he warns, particularly when the duties asked of him differ from the nature of his original position.
Torres takes the opposite line. Playing in more than one position means more chances to feature, he argues, and a succession of coaches using a player in multiple roles reflects their faith in his ability, his tactical flexibility, his intelligence and his commitment to the team's interests.
Ivan Campo's experience underlines the importance of tactical flexibility
Campo looked back on his time with Real Madrid and Bolton in England, explaining how he went from centre-back to excelling in midfield, a switch nobody saw coming.
His coach Sam Allardyce decided to push him into midfield ahead of a meeting with Arsenal, without him having trained in the role beforehand. Allardyce gave him confidence, Campo said, and assured him he would take responsibility if things went wrong.
The game finished 1-1. That experience became an important turning point in his career, and he carried on playing in midfield from then on. Players capable of filling different positions are a huge asset to any team, he stressed, especially given how rare they have become in modern football.
Luis Enrique and Marcos Llorente were the examples Campo reached for, both men who showed they could perform varied roles on the pitch.
Defensive fundamentals raise doubts over Valverde's deployment
Alkorta isn't convinced. Moving from midfield to full-back is no simple matter, he says, even for a player with Valverde's physical qualities, because a defender needs a set of basic skills usually picked up in the earliest stages of a career.
Having played in all four defensive positions for Real Madrid, Alkorta explained that movement, covering and defensive positioning are nothing like the duties asked of midfielders. Valverde's exceptional fitness helps him fill the full-back role, he stressed, but it doesn't guarantee success in every circumstance.
Using him there might work when Real Madrid are controlling a match, he indicated. It gets far more complicated when the team are forced to drop back and defend against an opponent's pressure.
Guti identifies the best position for Valverde
Guti waded into the debate insisting Valverde produces his best football on the flanks, whether as a winger or an attacking full-back, thanks to his physical strength, his passing and his ability to carry the ball forward.
Using him as a defensive midfielder, the former Real Madrid star believes, wastes a chunk of what he offers. Give him greater freedom wide and he could hit better levels and show off his attacking qualities far more effectively.
Torres agrees. Valverde has reached an important stage of his career, one that demands some thought about his long-term role, and he has the attributes to become one of the best in the world at right-back or attacking full-back if he settles on one of them.
Campo sees it differently. For him Valverde remains essential in midfield, but he needs support from his team-mates so he isn't left covering vast spaces on his own, whether pushing forward to attack or dropping back to defend.
Alkorta, meanwhile, baulked at the idea of Valverde as a world-class full-back. He doesn't see him as clearly superior to the likes of Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold in that position, though he stressed that judging Mourinho's decision comes down to the coach's vision and the team's needs.
So the challenge for Mourinho is squeezing the maximum out of Valverde, in midfield or on the right flank. He has the physical strength and the range to carry out all sorts of tactical roles. That flexibility, though, settles nothing about where he can do the most damage.