Rubén Baraja

Lore & Background

Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, Baraja started his career at local Real Valladolid before moving to Atlético Madrid, where he would spend two and a half seasons with the reserves, first appearing with the first team on 7 February 1999. In 1998–99, with the B's in the Segunda División, he scored a career-best eleven goals. When Atlético was relegated at the end of 1999–2000, Baraja left the club in a 2,000 million pesetas transfer to Valencia. In his first season, he was a key element in the Champions League run, as they were beaten in the final by Bayern Munich on penalties, with Baraja scoring on his attempt. 2001–02 saw his first trophy win, where his goals late in the campaign helped Valencia to their first La Liga title in 31 years – he finished as team top scorer in the league, netting seven in only 17 league games after recovering from a knee injury. 2003–04 was another big year, winning both the domestic championship (with eight league goals) and the UEFA Cup. After two respectable seasons, often partnering longtime central midfield partner David Albelda, he was again greatly troubled by injuries in the 2009–10 campaign. Baraja closed his chapter at Valencia on 16 May 2010, receiving homages before and after a 1–0 home win over Tenerife. The 35-year-old announced his retirement shortly after, having appeared in 338 top-flight games over 15 seasons and scored 47 goals.

In Their Own Story

In November of the 2006–07 campaign, Valencia CF entered a difficult phase where they failed to win any of their first six matches in La Liga. The sequence began with a narrow 1–0 loss to Racing de Santander. During this slump, the team's performance suffered due to injuries to essential personnel. Rubén Baraja, serving as a midfielder for the club, was one of the key players who sustained an injury that kept him out during this critical stretch. His absence, along with that of other mainstays like David Albelda and Carlos Marchena, contributed to the team's inability to maintain their earlier form.

Reader's Guide

Baraja made his debut for Spain on 7 October 2000, in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 2–0 defeat of Israel. He was picked for the final stages, where the team reached the quarter-finals before being sent out by co-hosts South Korea on penalties; Baraja scored on his attempt and also had a header disallowed. He also took part in UEFA Euro 2004, where Spain was eliminated in the group stage. He was left out of the 2006 World Cup squad. In June 2011, Baraja returned to Atlético Madrid as part of Gregorio Manzano's staff. In the summer of 2013, he returned to Valencia, first coaching the youths. On 22 December 2013, he took interim charge of the reserves. He was appointed manager of Elche on 12 July 2015, resigning on 6 June 2016. On 8 November 2016, he took the reins at Rayo Vallecano; after only three wins from 13 games, he was sacked on 20 February 2017. He was appointed at Sporting de Gijón on 12 December 2017, receiving a four-match ban and a €3,005 fine for preventing Barcelona B's Sergi Palencia from taking a throw-in. On 18 November 2018, he was dismissed after losing the Asturian derby. In December 2019, he became coach of Tenerife, leaving on 20 July 2020. He replaced Víctor Fernández at Real Zaragoza on 20 August 2020, and was relieved of his duties on 9 November. On 14 February 2023, Baraja returned to Valencia as head coach. His first top-flight game as a manager came six days later, in a 1–0 loss at Getafe, and a 1–1 draw at Real Betis secured survival by a two-point margin on the final day. He then renewed his contract for two more years. On 23 December 2024, having achieved only two wins during the season, Baraja was sacked.

Did You Know?

• Baraja's younger brother, Javier, was also a professional footballer, a defender who spent most of his senior career at Valladolid.
• Baraja scored a career-best eleven goals in 1998–99 while playing for Atlético Madrid B in the Segunda División.
• He scored on his penalty attempt in the 2002 World Cup quarter-final shootout against South Korea.
• Baraja was named UEFA Super Cup Man of the Match in 2004.