Raúl Albiol facts for kids
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Albiol playing for Spain in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 4 September 1985 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Vilamarxant, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre-back | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Villarreal | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Ribarroja | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Vilamarxant | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2003 | Valencia | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | Valencia B | 35 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2009 | Valencia | 131 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | → Getafe (loan) | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Real Madrid | 81 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Napoli | 180 | (6) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Villarreal | 165 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Spain U19 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Spain U21 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2021 | Spain | 58 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Raúl Albiol Tortajada (born on September 4, 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a central defender and is the captain for the La Liga club Villarreal.
Raúl Albiol has played for several big clubs in his career. These include Valencia, Real Madrid, and Villarreal. He won five major titles with Valencia and Real Madrid. He also helped Villarreal win the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League. Over 15 seasons, he played 379 matches in La Liga and scored eight goals. He also spent several years playing in Italy's Serie A for Napoli.
Since 2007, Albiol has been a part of the Spanish national team. He played in two World Cups and two European Championships. He helped Spain win three major tournaments, including the 2010 World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Valencia
Raúl Albiol was born in Vilamarxant, Spain. He started playing football at a young age. Before he turned 10, he joined the big local club, Valencia. He played his first game for the main team on September 24, 2003. He was just 18 years old. This game was a UEFA Cup match against AIK. For his first year, he mostly played for Valencia's reserve team.
In August 2004, Albiol was in a serious car accident. He was on his way to sign a loan deal with Getafe. He had to go to intensive care. Luckily, he recovered fully. He returned to play in January 2005. He helped Getafe avoid being moved down to a lower league. He played his first La Liga game on January 15, 2005. He even scored against Real Madrid two months later.
Albiol went back to Valencia for the next season. He quickly became a key player because he could play in different positions. In 2006, he scored the winning goal against Real Betis. He also scored a long-range goal in a UEFA Champions League game against Olympiacos. During his four years with Valencia's first team, he played at least 29 league games each season. He also helped them win the Copa del Rey in 2008.
Playing for Real Madrid
On June 25, 2009, Albiol joined Real Madrid. He was the first Spanish player signed by Florentino Pérez when he returned as president. Albiol scored his first goal for Real Madrid on December 8. It was in a Champions League match against Marseille. He was a regular starter in the league season. This was partly because another defender, Pepe, had a serious knee injury.
In the 2010–11 season, Albiol played less often. Real Madrid had signed another defender, Ricardo Carvalho. He mostly played when other teammates were injured or suspended. However, he did play in the club's domestic cup games. In 2011, he was sent off in a game against Barcelona. This led to a penalty kick for Barcelona.
On August 6, 2012, Albiol extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2017. On November 27, he played as captain for the first time. But he had to leave the game early due to an ankle injury. He was out of action for about a month.
Moving to Napoli
On July 21, 2013, Albiol moved to Napoli in Italy. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first Serie A game on August 25. Napoli won that game 3-0 against Bologna.
Albiol scored his first goal for Napoli on January 25, 2014. It was a late goal that helped his team draw 1-1 against ChievoVerona. On May 3, he played the whole final of the Coppa Italia. Napoli won the cup by beating Fiorentina 3-1.
Joining Villarreal
On July 4, 2019, Albiol, at 33 years old, returned to Spain. He signed a three-year deal with Villarreal. He played his first game for Villarreal on August 17. It was an exciting 4-4 draw against Granada.
Albiol scored two goals in 11 games during the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League. Villarreal won this tournament, which was the first major trophy in their 98-year history. In the 2021 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea, he missed a penalty kick in the shoot-out.
On April 12, 2022, Albiol was named the best player of the match. This was in a Champions League quarter-final game against Bayern Munich. Villarreal drew 1-1, which meant they won 2-1 overall and moved on in the competition.
International Career
Raúl Albiol played for Spain's under-21 team. He then made his debut for the senior team on October 13, 2007. This was a qualifying match for the UEFA Euro 2008 against Denmark. Spain won 3-1. In the main tournament, he played twice. Spain went on to win the championship.
The new national team coach, Vicente del Bosque, chose Albiol for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. He started in Spain's first game, helping them win 5-0 against New Zealand.
Albiol was also chosen for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, he did not play in any games because he got injured during training. Spain won the World Cup that year. He was also part of the squad for the Euro 2012 tournament. Spain won that one too, but Albiol was again an unused player.
Albiol was named in Spain's team for the 2014 World Cup. He played his first game in a major tournament in the last group match against Australia. Spain had already been eliminated, but they won that game 3-0.
Playing Style
Raúl Albiol is a very reliable and strong player. He is good at heading the ball. His best quality is that he can play in different positions. He can play as a centre-back (in the middle of defense), a right-back (on the right side of defense), or a defensive midfielder (in front of the defense).
Personal Life
Albiol's nickname is "El Chori". His older brother, Miguel, was also a footballer. His father, also named Miguel, played in a lower division for Sabadell. Raúl named his youngest brother, Brian, after the famous footballer Brian Laudrup.
Raúl Albiol has two daughters with his wife, Alicia. In 2008, he helped start an organization called Evangélico FC. This group helps promote Christian values among young athletes in Spain.
Honours and Awards
Raúl Albiol has won many trophies with his clubs and country:
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 2007–08
- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2011–12
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11
- Supercopa de España: 2012
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2013–14
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Villarreal
- UEFA Europa League: 2020–21
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2004
Spain
Individual Awards
- La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2006
- UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2014–15, 2020–21
See also
In Spanish: Raúl Albiol para niños
