Real Valladolid could wrap up their season on Saturday against Real Zaragoza, or they could face a major complication in the final three matchdays. Álvaro Aceves, voted the club’s best player for April, called for support from the Zorrilla faithful and exuded white-and-purple passion during the press conference after receiving his award.
The Valladolid native, after thanking fans for the recognition, stated that the goal for Saturday’s match is to keep a clean sheet, just as they have in their last three home games: “I think the team’s defensive work at home is very good, and that shows in the results. Those of us at the back have to be solid, competitive, and not concede, so our rivals know it will be tough to score against us.”
The goalkeeper is one of the crowd’s idols, especially among the youngest fans, who show him their appreciation frequently. That happened last week with a young supporter from his parents’ hometown, and again yesterday after training — and he loves it: “It’s beautiful, honestly. Yesterday there was an open training session and a little boy came up to me asking for my gloves and was crying with emotion. When I got home, I told my father, and he reminded me of when I was the one asking for gloves as a kid, when I was in the youth academy and saw them as something distant. For me, it’s beautiful. I’ve experienced it since I was little, and being recognized like that is amazing.”
Aceves became the starter after Guilherme’s injury and explained that he feels better with each passing matchday: “That was my goal — to know that I came every day to train for this. It’s satisfying to have achieved it, but professional football doesn’t let you savor it because the demands are very high every weekend. I’m focused on doing my best and providing that security, which is improving with each game.”
The goalkeeper acknowledged that his starting role coincides with a bittersweet season: “I grew up watching Valladolid fight for other things, and when I replayed this dream in my head, it was in a different scenario. But this is the reality we have — it’s what we’ve achieved on the pitch. Things in life don’t always come as you want, and you have to be humble enough to do some self-criticism. Tough times make strong people.”
Interestingly, the other goalkeeper, Guilherme, also won the club’s Player of the Month award a couple of times earlier in the season, and now Aceves has won it. So what’s the conclusion about the team?
“These awards are also a result of the team’s work. At certain points in the season, one of the areas we needed to improve was defensive solidity, and we’ve achieved that. We work for it. It speaks well of Guilherme when he’s played, of Pablo, who works every day, and of Pedro. In football, individual recognition doesn’t mean much,” explained the Valladolid native.
On his relationship with Guilherme, the Pucela goalkeeper said: “Coaches often need moments like these (injuries) to make decisions. It’s not an easy position to touch. We’re professionals. When Guilherme had to play, I was there pushing him to be better every day, and I was ready for when my turn came. Now the situation is reversed. That internal competition is positive.”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match against Real Zaragoza, the goalkeeper acknowledged…
