Iván Helguera facts for kids
Helguera with Real Madrid in 2003
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iván Helguera Bujía | ||
| Date of birth | 28 March 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Santander, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back, defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Racing Santander | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1994–1995 | Racing B | 4 | (0) |
| 1995 | Revilla | ||
| 1995–1996 | Manchego | 13 | (2) |
| 1996–1997 | Albacete | 14 | (2) |
| 1997–1998 | Roma | 8 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | Espanyol | 37 | (2) |
| 1999–2007 | Real Madrid | 229 | (18) |
| 2007–2008 | Valencia | 25 | (1) |
| Total | 330 | (25) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998–2004 | Spain | 47 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2020 | Las Rozas | ||
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Iván Helguera Bujía was born on March 28, 1975. He is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a central defender or a defensive midfielder.
Iván was known for being good at both defending and attacking. He played for five different clubs during his career. His most famous time was with Real Madrid. He also played for Valencia.
He spent a short time playing in Italy for Roma. Overall, he played 291 games and scored 21 goals in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
Iván Helguera also played for the Spanish national team almost 50 times. He represented Spain in the 2002 World Cup. He also played in two European Championships.
Contents
Iván Helguera's Club Journey
Starting Out and Joining Real Madrid
Iván Helguera grew up in Santander. He started his football training at Racing Club. He began his professional career playing for smaller teams like Manchego CF and Albacete Balompié.
In the 1996–97 season, he played 14 games for Albacete. After that, he moved to Italy to play for Serie A team AS Roma. He stayed there for one season.
After his time in Italy, Iván joined RCD Espanyol in Spain. He played very well as a defender there. His strong performances caught the eye of Real Madrid. He joined Real Madrid before the 1998–99 season ended.
Success at Real Madrid
When Iván Helguera joined Real Madrid in July 1999, he quickly became a key player. He scored five goals in his second season and six goals in his fourth season. Both of these seasons ended with Real Madrid winning the national championship.
He played as both a defender and a midfielder during his time there. Iván was very important in Real Madrid winning the UEFA Champions League twice. In the 2000 final, he played as a sweeper in a 3–0 win against Valencia CF.
Two years later, in the 2002 final, he helped Real Madrid win 2–1 against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Even though he wasn't always a starter in his last two years, he still played in 42 games. He helped the team win the Spanish league title in 2007.
Time at Valencia
On July 20, 2007, Iván Helguera signed a three-year contract with Valencia. He said he had wanted to join Valencia for a long time and was very happy to be there. He played an important role in his first season with Valencia.
He helped the team win the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) in 2008. However, he played very few games in the next season. His contract with Valencia was ended on December 12, 2008. After this, he decided to retire from football.
Iván Helguera's International Career
Iván Helguera played for the Spanish national team 47 times. His first game for Spain was on November 18, 1998, in a friendly match against Italy.
He represented Spain in several major tournaments. These included UEFA Euro 2000, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and Euro 2004. He was not chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad.
Personal Life
Iván Helguera has a younger brother named Luis. Luis was also a professional footballer. He played as a midfielder in the first division for teams like Real Zaragoza.
Iván married his longtime girlfriend, Lorena. They welcomed their first child, a boy named Luca, on November 30, 2005.
Honours
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07
- Supercopa de España: 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 1999–2000, 2001–02
- Intercontinental Cup: 2002
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 2007–08
Images for kids
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Helguera with Real Madrid in 2003
See also
In Spanish: Iván Helguera para niños
