At that time, he kept provoking Real Madrid's number ten, who responded with a backflip penalty kick that turned him into the laughingstock of the world.
For a long time after the game, Valdes was afraid to go out.
Fans of Espanyol often mocked him on the streets.
Even now, that incident occasionally haunted Valdes's dreams.
Although it was a free kick now, not a penalty, the player taking it was still the same.
Valdes inevitably recalled those unpleasant memories.
Valdes took a deep breath, refrained from making any provocative gestures, and kept moving his gloved fingers to relieve the pressure in his heart.
"Stay calm, Victor, you're the best, just calm down, damn it..."
Valdes clenched his fists; he simply couldn't calm down.
During open play, he hadn't noticed, but once it came to set pieces and Real Madrid's number ten stood there, Victor Valdes's body involuntarily trembled slightly.
Valdes forcefully punched his leg to let pain take over.
