Victor Valdes
Barcelona's record-breaking goalkeeper and three-time Champions League winner.
Víctor Valdés Arribas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈbiɣtoɾ βalˈdes aˈriβas]; born 14 January 1982) is a Spanish football coach and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper. He spent most of his professional career with Barcelona in La Liga appearing in 535 official games whilst winning 21 major titles. Valdés won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the league's least scored-against goalkeeper five times, four of which consecutively. After leaving Barcelona in 2014, he played for Manchester United, Standard Liège and Middlesbrough before retiring in 2017. Valdés played 20 games for Spain between 2010 and 2014, with most of his international career being as a back-up to Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina. He was part of the Barcelona team that defeated Real Madrid 6–2 and 5–0, respectively, in 2009 and 2010.
- role
- Goalkeeper
- club
- FC Barcelona
- status
- Retired from professional play
- legacy_status
- Club Legend
Lore & Background
Valdés was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, and raised in nearby Gavà, while his family was originally from Puebla de Sanabria in the Province of Zamora. He started his career with Peña Cinco Copas in 1992. That September, he moved with his family to Tenerife, where he joined UD Ibarra, and he returned to Catalonia in 1995 to join FC Barcelona's La Masia academy. He made his first team debut against Legia Warsaw in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on 14 August 2002. He currently holds the club records as goalkeeper with most appearances in the league and in official competition, breaking Andoni Zubizarreta's records during the 2011–12 season.
In Their Own Story
The rain lashed against the Camp Nou turf during a crucial Champions League semi-final night. The score was tied, and the opposing striker broke through the defense with terrifying speed. Time seemed to slow for Víctor Valdés; he didn't panic. With a calculated burst of pace, he rushed out, narrowing the angle until the world disappeared into the blur of his gloves. He parried the shot away with a thunderous save, the ball ricocheting harmlessly over the bar. As the roar of the Blaugrana faithful erupted, Valdés stood tall in his yellow jersey, signaling to his defense that the fortress remained unbreached.
Reader's Guide
Valdés helped Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League in 2005–06, 2008–09, and 2010–11. He was part of the treble-winning squad in 2008–09 under Pep Guardiola. He won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy in 2004–05 and four consecutive times thereafter. He set a Barcelona club record for not conceding a goal in European competition with a clean sheet against Rangers on 7 November 2007, which saw him re-write the Barça record books after not conceding a goal for 466 minutes. He played his 410th match with Barcelona on 29 August 2011, equaling Andoni Zubizarreta's record as Barcelona's goalkeeper with the most appearances.
Did You Know?
- Valdés saved a crucial shot from Thierry Henry in the 2006 Champions League final, which teammate Deco said made the comeback possible.
- He made his 100th Champions League appearance on 1 May 2013 in a 3–0 loss to Bayern Munich.
- Valdés tore his anterior cruciate ligament on 26 March 2014, ending his Barcelona career and ruling him out of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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