David Albelda facts for kids
Albelda as a Valencia player (2010)
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | David Albelda Aliqués | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 1 September 1977 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Pobla Llarga, Spain | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Alzira | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Valencia B | 31 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 1995–2013 | Valencia | 351 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | → Villarreal (loan) | 34 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | → Villarreal (loan) | 35 | (2) | ||||||||||
| Total | 451 | (12) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Spain U18 | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1997 | Spain U20 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Spain U21 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2000 | Spain U23 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Spain | 51 | (0) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Atzeneta | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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David Albelda Aliqués, born on September 1, 1977, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense. After retiring as a player, he became a manager.
Albelda spent most of his long career playing for Valencia, a famous Spanish football club. He was the team's captain for more than ten years. He played in 480 official matches for the club, showing great loyalty.
He also played for the Spanish national team in the 2000s. Albelda earned 51 caps (appearances) for his country. He represented Spain in two World Cups and at Euro 2004.
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David Albelda's Football Journey
David Albelda was born in La Pobla Llarga, a town in the Valencian Community of Spain. He started his football journey as a central defender at a local club called UD Alzira.
After playing on loan for Villarreal CF twice, he returned to his first professional club, Valencia CF, for the 1999–2000 season. He quickly became a very important player for Valencia. He helped the team win the La Liga championship in 2002 and again in 2004.
In 2004, Valencia also won the UEFA Cup, another big European competition. From 2001, Albelda was given the important role of team captain. This happened after the previous captain, Gaizka Mendieta, left the club.
In December 2007, something surprising happened. The new coach, Ronald Koeman, decided to remove Albelda and two other key players from the squad. This was a shock, especially since Albelda had just signed a new contract until 2011. Albelda tried to end his contract peacefully, but it didn't work out.
However, things changed in April 2008. Coach Koeman was dismissed, and a new manager, Voro, took over. Valencia was in danger of being relegated (moving down to a lower league). Voro brought Albelda and the other players back into the team.
Albelda returned to play in a match against FC Barcelona. He then started in a big 5–1 win against Levante UD. This victory helped Valencia stay in the top league. For the 2008–09 season, Albelda continued to be a regular player in midfield alongside his longtime teammate Rubén Baraja.
From 2010 to 2013, Albelda played less often for Valencia. He also had some injuries during this time. On June 10, 2013, it was announced that Albelda, then 35 years old, would not continue with the club. He left as a free agent and announced his retirement from playing football two months later.
After his playing career, Albelda became a football manager. On May 29, 2019, he was appointed manager of Tercera División (a Spanish league) team Atzeneta UE. He led them to their first-ever promotion to Segunda División B in July 2020. This was a great achievement for the club.
However, on May 24, 2021, after his team was immediately relegated back down, Albelda left the club.
Playing for Spain
David Albelda started playing for the Spanish national team on September 5, 2001. His first match was a 2–0 win against Liechtenstein in a qualifier for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
He was part of the Spanish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 World Cup. He also played in the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.
Even after he was removed from the Valencia squad in 2007, the national team coach, Luis Aragonés, still called him up for a friendly match against France in February 2008. However, Albelda did not make the final team for UEFA Euro 2008, which Spain went on to win.
Albelda also achieved success with Spain's youth teams. He won a silver medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also represented his nation at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Off the Field
David Albelda married Spanish model and presenter Vicen Fernández in 2007.
What David Albelda Won
David Albelda achieved many successes during his football career, especially with Valencia and the Spanish national youth team.
Valencia
- La Liga:
- 2001–02
- 2003–04
- Supercopa de España: 1999
- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004
- UEFA Champions League runner-up:
- 1999–2000
- 2000–01
Spain U23
- Summer Olympics silver medal: 2000
See also
In Spanish: David Albelda para niños
