Víctor Valdés facts for kids

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Víctor Valdés

Valdés with Spain in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Víctor Valdés Arribas
Date of birth	(1982-01-14) 14 January 1982 (age 43)
Place of birth	L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
Height	1.83 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1992	Barcelona
1992–1995	Tenerife
1995–2000	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000	Barcelona C	16	(0)
2000–2003	Barcelona B	71	(0)
2002–2014	Barcelona	387	(0)
2014–2016	Manchester United	2	(0)
2016	→ Standard Liège (loan)	5	(0)
2016–2017	Middlesbrough	28	(0)
Total		509	(0)
National team
2000–2001	Spain U18	11	(0)
2001	Spain U19	3	(0)
2001	Spain U20	1	(0)
2002–2003	Spain U21	11	(0)
2010–2014	Spain	20	(0)
2001–2014	Catalonia	12	(0)
Teams managed
2018–2019	Moratalaz (youth)
2019	Barcelona (youth)
2020–2021	Horta
Honours Men's football Representing  Spain FIFA World Cup Winner 2010 South Africa UEFA European Championship Winner 2012 Poland-Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Runner-up 2013 Brazil
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Víctor Valdés Arribas was born on January 14, 1982. He is a Spanish football coach and a former professional player. He played as a goalkeeper. Víctor spent most of his career with Barcelona in La Liga, playing in 535 official games. He won 21 major titles with the club. He was also part of the Spain squads that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. Many people think he is one of Barcelona's best goalkeepers ever. Later in his career, Valdés also played for Manchester United, Standard Liège, and Middlesbrough.

Early Football Career

Víctor Valdés was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, a city near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. He started playing football with Barcelona's youth team in July 1992. A few months later, his family moved to Tenerife, so he had to leave the club. But he came back to Barcelona three years later. After returning, he quickly moved up through the different youth teams.

Playing for Clubs

Barcelona Years

Valdés played his first game for Barcelona's main team on August 14, 2002. This was a Champions League qualifying match. At the start of the 2002–03 season, he was the backup goalkeeper. But when a new manager, Radomir Antić, arrived in January 2003, Valdés started playing more often.

In the 2003–04 season, he became the main goalkeeper. In the 2004–05 season, he played in almost all of Barcelona's games. He helped Barcelona win their first league title in six years. That season, he also won the Zamora Trophy. This award goes to the goalkeeper who lets in the fewest goals in Spain.

In the 2005–06 season, Valdés helped Barcelona win two major titles: the league and a European cup. He played a big part in Barcelona winning the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League. In the final against Arsenal, he made two amazing saves from Thierry Henry. This helped his team win 2–1. Barcelona's manager, Frank Rijkaard, praised Valdés for his efforts.

On June 17, 2007, Valdés set a new record for Barcelona goalkeepers. He started every single one of the 38 La Liga matches that season and played the whole game. He also set a club record for not letting in a goal in European games for 466 minutes. This streak ended when Lyon scored two goals against him.

On May 27, 2009, Barcelona beat Manchester United 2–0 in the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final. This win helped Barcelona achieve a special "treble." They won La Liga, the Champions League, and the Copa del Rey all in one season. Valdés made important saves in the final against Cristiano Ronaldo.

Valdés playing for Barcelona in 2012

On May 16, 2010, Valdés won his fourth league title. Barcelona won the Spanish league for the second year in a row. On August 29, 2011, Valdés played his 410th game for Barcelona. He tied Andoni Zubizarreta's record for the most appearances as Barcelona's goalkeeper.

In 2012, Valdés made a mistake in a game against Real Madrid. This led to a goal that helped Real Madrid win the Supercopa de España. On May 1, 2013, Valdés played his 100th Champions League game. Later that month, he said he would not sign a new contract with Barcelona. His contract was ending in 2014. He explained that the pressure of playing for the club was very high.

On March 26, 2014, Valdés got a serious knee injury during a game. He tore a ligament in his knee. This injury meant he could not play for the rest of the season. It also ended his career at Barcelona and stopped him from playing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Valdés holds the club records for most games played by a goalkeeper in the league and in all official competitions.

Manchester United

After leaving Barcelona, Valdés joined Manchester United in January 2015. He signed an 18-month contract. He was a backup goalkeeper for David de Gea. Valdés played his first game for Manchester United's main team on May 17, 2015. He came on as a substitute against Arsenal. A week later, he started his first game for the team against Hull City.

In July 2015, Manchester United's manager, Louis van Gaal, said that Valdés was available for transfer. Valdés was not given a squad number for the new season. He was later named in the Premier League squad, but this was mainly to follow rules.

Standard Liège

On January 23, 2016, Valdés moved to the Belgian club Standard Liège on a six-month loan. He played his first game a week later. On March 20, he won the 2016 Belgian Cup Final with Standard Liège. His loan ended early in April. The club wanted to give younger players a chance to play.

Middlesbrough

On July 7, 2016, Valdés signed a two-year deal with Middlesbrough. This club had just been promoted to the Premier League. He played his first game for Middlesbrough on August 13, 2016. On October 22, he kept his first clean sheet (no goals conceded) for the team. Valdés left Middlesbrough on July 1, 2017. He retired from professional football in August 2017.

Playing for Spain

Valdés at UEFA Euro 2012

On May 20, 2010, Valdés was chosen to be part of Spain's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was the third-choice goalkeeper. On June 3, 2010, Valdés played his first game for Spain in a friendly match.

Valdés was part of the Spanish teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. Even though he was in the squad, he did not play in either tournament. He was also in the Spanish team that reached the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Spain lost 3–0 to Brazil in that final. His only game in a major tournament was a 3–0 win against Nigeria.

How He Played

Víctor Valdés was known for being very competitive and demanding. He had great mental strength and could stay focused even when the ball was far from him. He was excellent in one-on-one situations against attackers.

In his best years, Valdés was a very good goalkeeper. He is seen as one of Barcelona's best goalkeepers ever. He had good reflexes, could handle the ball well, and was good at stopping shots. He was also known for his quickness and calm attitude in goal. He could make important saves, even after not being busy for a long time. Valdés was also known for his vision and how well he used his feet. He could pass the ball out from the back or start an attack. He was smart, could read the game, and was brave when coming out of his goal to get the ball. He often played like a "sweeper-keeper," helping his team's defense.

Coaching Career

On June 1, 2018, Valdés started his coaching career. He got his UEFA Pro Licence, which allows him to manage professional teams. He began coaching youth teams at an amateur club called ED Moratalaz. He won two regional titles with them.

On July 19, 2019, Valdés returned to Barcelona to coach their youth team, Juvenil A. However, his time there was short. He left the club in October. In May 2020, he became the manager of UA Horta. He left this role in January 2021.

Personal Life

Víctor Valdés's parents are José Manuel Valdés and Águeda Arribas. He has two brothers, Ricardo and Álvaro. In June 2017, he married his long-time partner, Yolanda Cardona, who is a Colombian model. They have two sons, Dylan and Kai, and a daughter named Vera.

Career Statistics

Club

Sources:

International

Awards and Honours

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12
• Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
• UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011

Standard Liège

• Belgian Cup: 2015–16

Spain

• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Championship: 2012

Individual Awards

• Zamora Trophy: 2004–05, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
• La Liga Best Goalkeeper: 2009–10, 2010–11
• ESM Team of the Year: 2010–11
• Middlesbrough Player of the Month: October 2016

Orders

• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011

See also

In Spanish: Víctor Valdés para niños

• List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances