Víctor Valdés facts for kids

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Víctor Valdés

Valdés with Spain in 2013
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 (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
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)
Managerial career
2020–2021	Horta
2025	Real Ávila
Medal record 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
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Víctor Valdés Arribas (born on January 14, 1982) is a Spanish football coach and 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 consider Valdés to be one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. He also played for Manchester United, Standard Liège, and Middlesbrough for shorter periods.

Early Football Journey

Víctor Valdés was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia. He began his football journey with Barcelona's youth team on July 1, 1992. A few months later, he moved with his family to Tenerife. This meant he had to leave the club. However, he returned to Barcelona three years later. After coming back, he quickly moved up through the youth teams.

Club Career Highlights

Playing for Barcelona

Valdés made his first team debut on August 14, 2002. This was in a Champions League qualifying game against Legia Warszawa. At the start of the 2002–03 season, Valdés was a backup goalkeeper. But when Radomir Antić became the new manager in January 2003, Valdés started playing more often.

In the 2003–04 season, he became the main goalkeeper. During the 2004–05 season, he played in almost all of Barcelona's matches. He helped Barcelona win their first league title in six years. He also won the Zamora Trophy that season. 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. They won both the Spanish league and the Champions League. He played a huge role in Barcelona's Champions League win. In the final against Arsenal, he made two amazing saves. He stopped Thierry Henry from scoring twice, helping his team win 2–1. Barcelona's manager, Frank Rijkaard, praised Valdés for his efforts.

Valdés playing for Barcelona during a match against Mallorca in 2007

On June 17, 2007, Valdés set a goalkeeping record in La Liga. He played every minute of all 38 matches in the season. This matched a record held by former Barcelona goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta.

Valdés also set a Barcelona club record in European games. He did not let in a goal for 466 minutes. This streak ended when Lyon captain Juninho scored twice against him. Despite his efforts, Barcelona did not win any major trophies in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons. On February 3, 2008, Valdés was captain for Barcelona for the first time. This was in a 1-0 league win against Osasuna. On April 1, 2008, Valdés played his 250th game for Barcelona.

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

Valdés playing for Barcelona in 2012

On May 16, 2010, Valdés won his fourth league title. Barcelona secured their second straight Spanish league title under manager Pep Guardiola. They finished the season with an impressive 99 points.

On August 29, 2011, Valdés played his 410th match for Barcelona. He equaled Andoni Zubizarreta's record for most appearances as Barcelona's goalkeeper.

In 2012, Valdés made a mistake against Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España. This led to Ángel Di María scoring a key goal. Real Madrid then won the Super Cup.

On May 1, 2013, Valdés played his 100th Champions League game. This was in a 3–0 loss to Bayern Munich. Later that month, Valdés announced he would not renew his Barcelona contract. His contract was set to end in the 2013–14 season. He said the pressure of playing for the club was too much. He wanted to give the club enough time to find a new goalkeeper.

On March 26, 2014, Valdés suffered a serious injury. He tore a ligament in his knee during a 3–0 win against Celta Vigo. This injury ended his Barcelona career. It also meant he could not play in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Víctor Valdés holds Barcelona club records for most appearances as a goalkeeper. He has the most games played in the league and in all official competitions. He broke Andoni Zubizarreta's records during the 2011–12 season.

Time at Manchester United

In January 2014, Valdés had an agreement to join Ligue 1 team Monaco. However, his knee injury caused Monaco to cancel the deal. On October 23, 2014, Manchester United offered Valdés a chance. They let him recover from his injury and get back to fitness with their club. He signed an 18-month contract in January 2015. He was a backup goalkeeper for his fellow countryman David de Gea.

Valdés played his first game after his injury on January 26. He played for United's Under-21 team in a 2–1 win against Liverpool. He made his first team debut on May 17 against Arsenal. He came on for the injured De Gea for the last 16 minutes. A week later, he started his first game for the team. This was against Hull City, where he kept a clean sheet.

On July 15, 2015, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal said Valdés was available for transfer. This was because he reportedly refused to play in a reserve game. The next month, he was not given a squad number for the new season. A move to Turkey's Beşiktaş did not happen.

Loan to Standard Liège

On January 23, 2016, Manchester United announced that Valdés would join Belgian club Standard Liège. This was a six-month loan deal. He played his first game a week later in a 2–0 win. On March 20, Valdés won the 2016 Belgian Cup Final with Standard Liège. They beat Club Brugge 2–1. His loan ended early on April 29. The club wanted to give more young players a chance to play.

Playing for Middlesbrough

On July 7, 2016, Valdés signed a two-year deal with Middlesbrough. They had just been promoted to the Premier League. The team was managed by his countryman Aitor Karanka. On August 13, 2016, Valdés made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Stoke City. On October 22, 2016, Valdés kept his first clean sheet for Middlesbrough. This was in a 0–0 draw against Arsenal.

Middlesbrough entered the relegation zone in March 2017. Valdés and fellow goalkeeper Brad Guzan left the club on July 1, 2017. Valdés had offers from other clubs in Spain. However, he decided to retire from professional football in August 2017. He officially confirmed his retirement in January 2018.

International Career

Valdés with Spain at the UEFA Euro 2012

On August 16, 2005, Valdés was called up for a friendly game against Uruguay. However, he did not play in that match. After many years, on May 20, 2010, he was chosen by manager Vicente del Bosque. He was part of Spain's 23-man 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. He started in a friendly match against South Korea. Valdés was part of the Spanish teams that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He did not play in either tournament, but he was part of the winning squad.

He was also in the Spanish squad that reached the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. They lost 3–0 to the host team. His only appearance in a major tournament was in their last group game. He kept a clean sheet in a 3–0 win over Nigeria.

Playing Style

Valdés was known for being very competitive and demanding. He showed great mental strength and focus. He was excellent in one-on-one situations against attackers.

In his best years, Valdés was seen as a successful and high-quality goalkeeper. He is considered one of Barcelona's best goalkeepers ever. He was a strong presence in the goal area. He had good reflexes, handling, and shot-stopping skills. He was known for his quickness and calm attitude. He could make important saves, even after not being busy for a long time.

Besides his goalkeeping skills, he was also known for his vision and footwork. He was good at passing the ball from the back. He could start attacks from his own goal. He was also smart and could read the game well. He was fast and brave when coming out of his goal to get the ball. He often played as a sweeper-keeper. This meant he would come out of his area to stop opponents.

Coaching Career

On June 1, 2018, Valdés returned to football as a manager. He earned his UEFA Pro Licence. He started coaching the youth teams of an amateur club called ED Moratalaz. He won two regional titles with them. On July 19, 2019, Valdés returned to Barcelona. He became the coach of their Juvenil A side (youth team). However, his time there was short. He was let go on October 7.

Valdés returned to coaching in May 2020. He was appointed manager of UA Horta. He left in January 2021. This was to focus on Joan Laporta's plans for the Barcelona presidency.

Personal Life

Víctor Valdés' 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. She is a Colombian model. They have two sons, Dylan and Kai, and a daughter named Vera.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Trophies and Awards

Valdés celebrating the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup triumph

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

Special Recognition

• 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