Lionel Andrés Messi

Name: Lionel Andrés Messi
Position: forward
Place of birth: Santa Fe (Argentina)
Date: 24-06-1987
Heignt: 1'69
Weight: 67

This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s.

Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.

In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).

With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old. That record would eventually be beaten by Bojan.

At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.

His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.

The following season Messi moved up a gear and astounded the world with goals such as the one he scored against Getafe in the King’s Cup. In the 2006/07 season, and even though the team didn’t win any titles, the Argentine was second in the FIFA World Player awards and third in the Golden Ball. He continued to develop in the 2007/08 campaign, when he scored 16 goals and gave 10 assists in the 40 games he played in. In 2008, Leo Messi was runner up in the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD for the second season in a row.

Messi also regularly plays for Argentina, appearing at the World Cup in 2006 and the Copa Amèrica in 2007. In the latter competition Argentina reached the final only to lose to Brazil.

CHARACTERISTICS

Messi is an unusual player. He is highly creative, and has the skills to take on defenders with ease. He is a versatile left-footed player who can play either in the middle or on either wing, or even as a centre forward.

Although he is quite short, he is so fast and physically strong that he can cope with larger opponents. He is incredibly powerful, and a specialist in such dead ball situations as corners, free kicks and penalties.

Leo Messi is cool-headed and able to assume several responsibilities in times of need. He is a player who is destined to have a very successful career in football.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Argentinian National Team
2004/05 World Cup Under-20
2008 Gold Medal Beijing'08

Samuel Eto'o Fils

Name: Samuel Eto'o Fils
Position: delantero
Place of birth: Nkon (Cameroon)
Date: 10-03-1981
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 75 kg

Samuel Eto'o Fils made an impact on the world of football while still a teenager. He has exceptional physical qualities and made the leap to European football at the tender age of just 16 when Real Madrid signed him up and loaned him out to Leganés.

At the age of 17 years and 3 months he became the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup in France and was the only player who had been born in the '80's.

After Leganés, he went on loan to RCD Espanyol (1998-1999) but played very little and subsequently retuned to Real Madrid (1999-2000). In the 1999-00 season, he played a few times for RCD Mallorca, eventually spending four seasons there (2000-04), with the Balearic Island club sharing his rights with Real Madrid.

During his time with Mallorca, he became the highest ever league goal scorer in the history of the club, with 54 goals. He signed for Barca in the summer of 2004 for a transfer fee of 24 million euros after a long series of three-way negotiations with RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, thus becoming the first Cameroonian player to defend the Barca colours. He made his debut for FC Barcelona in the first game of the season at Ràcing Santander, on August 29, 2004.

Since then, he has become a veritable goal machine, scoring 25 times in his first season and making a huge contribution to winning the championship. His goal against Levante clinched the league title. He has needed just 67 matches to reach the landmark figure of 50 goals, outstripping some of the great Barca legends of the past.

Since he joined the Club he has been chosen as African Player of the Year 2004, 2005 and 2006, and picked up third place in the FIFA World Player 2005. He is a full international and one of the outstanding players in the Cameroon team and has a huge popular following in his country.

In the 2005-06 season, he was the top scorer in the Spanish League with 26 goals. In the Champions League Final on May 17 in Paris, it was Eto'o who scored Barcelona's equaliser after the Blaugrana had gone a goal down to Arsenal.

CHARACTERISTICS

Fast, strong and direct, Samuel Eto'o, who is 1.80 tall and weighs 75 kilos, boasts considerable experience, despite still only being 23. He's a committed player, whose hunger for goals never gets in the way of his desire to do the best for his team.

Eto'o is fast footed and capable of leaving his markers flailing behind him, with a strong shot and is also an experienced penalty taker.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Real Madrid
1999/00 Champions League
1997/98 Intercontinental Cup

Real Mallorca
2002/03 Spanish Cup

Cameroon
2008 African Cup runners up
2003 Confederation Cup runners up
2002 African Cup
2000 African Cup
2000 Gold medal Sidney Olympics

Individual Awards
2005/06 Spanish League top goalscorer
2004/05 Third place FIFA WORLD PLAYER
2004/05 African Player of the Year
2003/04 African Player of the Year
2002/03 African Player of the Year

Andrés Iniesta Lujan

Name: Andrés Iniesta Luján
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Fuentealbilla (Albacete)
Date: 11-05-1984
Height: 1'70
Weight: 65
Official website: www.andresiniesta.es/

Andrés Iniesta joined Barca as a twelve-year-old in 1996 after scouts had spotted him at the Brunette Tournament playing for Albacete.

From the start he progressed rapidly through the club's various youth teams and was promoted to the Barca B team for the 2000-01 season, where he almost immediately became the team's main playmaker under coach Josep Maria Gonzalvo.

Andrés' dream of making the first team finally came true in October 2002 when he was picked to play in the Champions League game against Bruges in Belgium. Van Gaal's Barca won that evening and Andrés made an excellent impression.

Now an recognised squad member, Iniesta has established a place for himself through hard work allied to his undoubted natural skills. In the shadow of some of the team's bigger names, Andres became a key piece of the League winning 2004-5 team, winding up as Rijkaard's most used player, figuring in 35 of the 38 league games. Iniesta also played 8 Champions League matches, scoring twice.

But he really established himself as a first team player in the 2005-06 season. Playing in central midfield in place of Xavi, who was sidelined for a long time with injury, Iniesta became one of the key players in the Barça side that won the League and the Champions League. He played in 33 League fixtures and 11 in the Champions League.

Iniesta continued to develop in the 2006-07 season and was one of the players most used by Frank Rijkaard in that campaign. He played in 37 out of 38 League games scoring 6 goals, his best return to date. In the 2007-08 season, and by now in the number 8 shirt, the midfielder continued to be an ever present in the side until the last few games when he picked up a knee injury.

Plus Andrés Iniesta is one of the key players in the Spanish national side, playing in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, when he was one of the players most used by Luis Aragonés as Spain lifted the trophy.

CHARACTERISTICS

Iniesta is fast, direct and reads the game superbly. He started playing in Barca B in a holding role in midfield but has gradually adopted a more attacking position in his first team appearances. Van Gaal began to use him in the hole behind the striker and Frank Rijkaard has, on occasions, given him a wider role on the right.

This demonstrates what is perhaps Iniesta's greatest strength his versatility and professional attitude towards whatever job the coach hands him. Andres is not a showy player, an attribute that matches his off the field persona, but gives a guarantee of practicality and elegance.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship

Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen

Name: Eidur Gudjohnsen
Position: forward
Place of birth: Reykjavik (Island)
Date: 15-09-1978
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen is the first player to play for Barca from Iceland, a country perhaps better known in sporting circles for handball or cross country skiing than football.

Gudjohnsen began to make his mark as a footballer from a young age, perhaps inspired by his father, who was also an Icelandic full international. When he was just 16, Eidur made his debut in the Icelandic league and ended up with 7 goals in 17 games - a return that caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven for whom he played for the following two seasons.

Gudjohnsen returned to his native Iceland to play for KR Reykjavik in the 97-98 season before signing for the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers, where he played for two seasons before joining Chelsea. He left the London club to replace Larson at Barca with a record of 62 goals in 219 games in his 6 years at Stamford Bridge, am experienced player with an impressive cv at the highest level.

Gudjohnsen played as an out-and-out striker in his first season with Barça, scoring 5 goals in 25 League appearances. The Icelander played deeper in the 2007/08 season, in which he turned out in 23 games and found the net twice.

CHARACTERISTICS

Gudjohnsen has developed his style in the English game and a a Northern European he not surprisingly is a bustling centre forward particularly strong in the air and with both feet. But Gudjohnson also brings an excellent technique and clever ball skills and a versatility which allowed him to show his abilities both up front and in midfield for Chelsea. His skills in midfield helped to convert him into one of the leading assist providers in the English game.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup

Chelsea FC
2005/06 League
2004/05 League
2004/05 Carling Cup
2000/01 Charity Shield

PSV Eindhoven
1996/97 League
1996/97 Supercup
1995/96 Cup

Xavier Hernandez Creus

Name: Xavier Hernández Creus
Position: midfielder
Place of birth: Terrassa (Barcelona)
Date: 25-01-1980
Height: 170 cm
Weight: 68 kg

Xavi has spent all his footballing life at the Nou Camp, having joined Barcelona when he was only 11 years old. The progress he made was always very quick and in season 97-98 he moved up from youth team to Barca B.

In Barça B, he became the brains of Jordi Gonzalvo's team which won promotion to the second division.

Xavi's dream of making his official debut with the first team squad became true when he played in the Spanish Super Cup against Majorca in the summer of 1998. He was in the starting line up and scored: a better debut he could not have asked for. Xavi also played an important role in the league-winning season of 1998-99 with Van Gaal as manager, most notably with an important goal in the Nuevo Zorrilla, which turned round the team's fortunes.

Season 1999-2000 was a good one for Xavi as due to the injury to Guardiola he was the first choice number 4 for a large part of the season. After the legendry captain left for Italian football he became the playmaker of the team and has continued to demonstrate the full range of his talents in this position.

With Van Gaal, Reixach, Antic and Rijkaard in charge of the team, Xavi has always been a key member of the team - a fact made clear by the 300 official games he completed whilst still only 25 years old.

With Rijkaard, Xavi has shown that he can not only play at the heart of midfield, but is also more than able to cover any position in the center of the team, an ability reflected in the fact that he was the most used player in the League winning 2004-05 season, playing 36 games in all.

Xavi will never forget 2 December 2005. While training at La Masía, the midfielder tore the ligaments in his left knee. His recovery was swifter than expected and within five months he was playing again. On 29 April 2006 against Cadiz, Xavi once again “felt like a footballer ". He was back in time to celebrate the League and Champions League titles with his team-mates.

In the last two seasons with Frank Rijkaard in the dugout, Xavi was one of the players most used by the Dutch manager. Plus in the 2007-08 season he set a personal best of 7 League goals, almost doubling his previous highest of four in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.

In addition Xavi Hernández has also been a fixture in Spain’s national side. He played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the 2004 and 2008 European Championships, and in the latter was chosen as best player as Spain picked up the title.

CHARACTERISTICS

Xavi is the playmaker of the team in every game and shows no nerves whatsoever as he guides the team with an extraordinarily cool head. Since taking on the mantle of playmaker at Barca he has shown incredible vision on the pitch. He is another example of the good work being carried out in the youth teams of Barcelona, especially in the position referred to as number 4 and as he has matured he has shown an increasing ability to adapt himself to different positions in the midfield when his manager has called on him.

His passing to the forwards and his ability to take the pressure off and protect the ball better than almost any other player around, have turned him into one of the focal points on the pitch. He also stands out for his defensive capabilities and his capacity as a ball winner.

In addition he has shown himself more than able at dead ball situations, where his potent shot has brought a number of important goals.

Xavi will always remember December 2, 2005. During training in front of La Masia,the Terrassa-born midfielder suffered a bad injury to his left knee as he ruptured his ligaments. Within five months he was back in action. On April 29, 2006 he returned to play against Cádiz and stated "I feel like a football player again". He was able to celebrate winning the title and the Champions League with the rest of the squad. The midfielder from Terrassa was one of the final candidates for the FIFA WORLD PLAYER AWARD 2008, finally finishing in fifth place.

The Barça playmaker was a regular in Luis Aragonés' Spain team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where the team progressed to the second round before being beaten by France.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga
1998/99 Liga

Spanish National Team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sydney Olympic Games
1999 Under 20 World Champion

Individual Awards
2008 Player of the Tournament: Euro 2008

Carles Puyol Saforcada

Name: Carles Puyol Saforcada
Position: defensa
Place of birth: La Pobla de Segur (Lleida)
Date: 13-04-1978
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 80 kg

Carles Puyol began his footballing career in the local team of the small town where he was born, La Pobla de Segur. His talent soon attracted wider attention and, at the age of 17, he was signed up for the Barca academy at La Masía.

He rapidly became a fixture in Barca B and then progressed to make his debut with the first team on 2nd October 1999 against Valladolid at the orders of Louis Van Gaal. His appearances became more and more frequent until he made the right back position his own. Thanks to his determination to improve and a tremendous work rate, Carles Puyol adapted to the position of central defender.

In the 2003-2004 season, having been chosen as third captain, he played a vital role in the team's sensational run of form that led to the runners-up place in the league. Puyol made 27 appearances in the league and seven in the UEFA Cup.

However, Carles Puyol had to wait until the 2004-05 season to win his first medal with Barca. He was, by then, captain of the first team and an essential part of Frank Rijkaard's league championship winning side. At the end of the season, he finally saw his dream come true of lifting the league trophy in the Nou Camp.

During the 2005-06 season, he played as well as he had the previous year. The Barça captain had the honour of being presented with the league title trophy before the game against Espanyol, before lifting the UEFA Champions League in Paris after the monumental victory against Arsenal in the Saint-Denis Stadium. Puyol only missed five matches all season and none through injury. On three occasions he was rested by coach Frank Rijkaard and was then suspended for the other two games which he did not play in. He also scored one goal as he headed home during the 5-0 victory against Real Sociedad on October 30, 2005.

At the end of the following season in 2006/07 (in which he played in 35 of 38 League games), Carles Puyol suffered the worst injury of his career when the League was already over. He damaged ligaments in his knee in a friendly played in Pretoria on 20 June 2007 and this kept him out until 29 September. Despite missing the first months of the competition, the club captain finally played in 30 League games in the 2007/08 campaign.

Carles Puyol is also a fixture in the Spanish national side, with which he played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and in the European Championships in 2004 and 2008. In the latter he was key figure as Spain won the title in Vienna.

CHARACTERISTICS

Carles Puyol started off in the first team at right back but has since developed into a great central defender. He stands out for his tremendous fitness levels and his discipline on the pitch. He's a perfect example of a team player and he never over-complicates the job when he has to cut off an opposing attacking move.

He can also adapt to the left back position when circumstances dictate. Although he is not particularly tall (178 cm), his physical strength makes him very strong in the air and he is capable of man-marking opposing forwards who are taller than him. He also likes to get up in attack, especially for corners and free kicks.

More than anything else, Carles Puyol is a reference point for the rest of the squad due to his character and qualities of leadership and because of his pride in the Barca colours and his total identification with the Club.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Spanish national team
2008 European Championship
2000 Silver medal. Sidney Olympic Games

Rafael Márquez Álvarez

Name: Rafael Márquez Álvarez
Position: defender
Place of birth: Zamora (Mexico)
Date: 13-02-1979
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 74 kg

Rafael Márquez is the first Mexican ever to play for Barça, having arrived in the 2003-2004 close season as one of the principal reinforcements in defence.

His youth and the progress he's enjoyed in the last few years have combined to make him one of the most promising defenders in Europe.

Beginning his career at Atlas Guadalajara (1996-99) he made his debut in the Mexican first division when he was just 17 years old. Three years later he signed for AS Monaco where he soon fit into the demands of the European game. In 2000 he won the French League title and was named as the league's top defender.

In 2003 his team won the French League Cup. Captain of the Mexican national team he played in the 1999 and 2001 Copas de America and the 2002 World Cup.

Márquez has gained the complete respect and trust of Frank Rijkaard and has become a regular in the Barcelona team. In his first season at the club he was one of the key figures as the side earned direct qualification for the Champions League.

In 2004-05, he demonstrated his versatility. The knee ligament injuries to Edmilson and Thiago Motta meant that Márquez was asked to step away from his usual role in the centre of the defence and play as a defensive midfielder, as he had done for both Monaco and Mexico in the past. He proved to be outstanding in front of the defence as he helped the side win the league title.

Márquez played in 34 League games and 6 Champions League fixtures, scoring 3 goals. In the 2005-06 season Márquez partnered Carles Puyol in the centre of the defence and together they become one of the best central defensive pairings in Europe. He was out for a month with a muscle strain in his right leg. In the year of the double, Márquez played in 25 League games and 8 Champions League encounters.

Injuries limited the Mexican’s contribution in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons. In total he played in 21 and 22 League games respectively. With the arrival of Touré Yaya, Márquez once again moved into the centre of the defence where he formed a fine pairing with Gaby Milito.

Capitan of Mexico, and in addition to winning the Copa Confederaciones in 1999 and the Copa de Oro in 2003, he has also played under all the national team’s coaches in recent years. He played in the Copa América in 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007, and in the World Cup in 2002. He was also a key player for Mexico in the World Cup in Germany in 2006.

CHARACTERISTICS

Right footed and very skilful, he reads the game well and has a great ability to launch his team in counter attacks. In addition he's a great free kick taker and strong in the air.

Known as the "Kàiser of Michoacán" for his elegance on the ball, dependability and skill coming out of defence, Marquez can also do the business as a central midfielder and has been compared to Franz Beckenbauer.

In the defensive midfield role, Márquez can impose his strength in the air as well as helping to build the play from the back as well as breaking up opposition attacks with his tackling.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Monaco
2002/03 French League's Cup
1999/00 Ligue 1

Mexican National Team
2003 Golden Cup
1999 Confederation Cup

Gerard Piqué Bernabeu

Name: Gerard Piqué
Position: defender
Place of birth: Barcelona
Date: 02-02-1987
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 85 kg

Gerard Piqué returned to FC Barcelona, the club where he started as a boy, in the summer of 2008, after three seasons with Manchester United and one with Real Zaragoza.

Gerard Piqué was born on 2 February 1987 and since that day he has been a club member of FC Barcelona. Since he was very young he has been involved with the club and when he was 10 years old he joined the youngest boys’ team at the club (Alevín B).

From then on he passed through the various under-age levels, picking up titles along the way and winning plaudits in all age categories (Alevín A, Infantil B and A, Cadete B and A and Juvenil B and A). When playing at Cadete B level Tito Vilanova was his manager, and he will meet up with Vilanova once again on his return to the first team. In all this time of development and learning, Gerard Piqué showed a great ability to adapt to different positions on the field and gained a reputation for goal scoring, despite his defensive position.

At the end of the 2003/04 season, Gerard Piqué took a break from his life as an azulgrana and left for Manchester United. He made his debut for the English side on 26 October, only three weeks after arriving, in a Carling Cup match against Crewe Alexandra. He was also with Alex Ferguson’s team for the 2005/06 season before being loaned out to Real Zaragoza for the 2006/07 season.

In his only season with the Aragon side, Piqué played quite a lot as a defensive midfielder in front of the back four. The catalan played 22 league games, eighteen of which he started, and scored to goals. During this time he played alongside Gabriel Milito, who he will also meet up with again on his return to Barça.

Season 2007/08 saw Piqué return to Manchester United and he was able to celebrate the double of Premiership and Champions League. He had a memorable season in the Champions League, especially in the initial league phase, scoring two goals.

With regard to his international experience, Piqué is a regular for the U-21 side, as he was with the younger under-age teams. He played in the 2007 U-20s World Cup in Canada, the 2006 U-19s European Championships in Poland (which Spain won) and the 2004 U-17s European Championships in France (which Spain finished as runners-up).

PROFILE

The Catalan is a big defender (1.92m tall and weighing 85 kg). His physical size and good technical ability make him strong in the air. He also knows how to put these qualities to use in attack, especially from dead ball situations. Apart from centre-half, Piqué can also play in front of the back four, as he showed during his time with Real Zaragoza.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Manchester United
2007/08 Premier League
2007/08 Champions League
2005/06 Carling Cup

Spain
2005/06 European Champion U-19
2003/04 European runner-up U-17

José Martín Cáceres

Name: José Martín Cáceres
Position: Defender
Place of Birth: Montevideo (Uruguay)
Date of Birth: 07-04-1987
Height: 1.82 m
Weight: 77 kg

José Martín Cáceres signed for Barça in the summer of 2008 after a good season with Recreativo Huelva. The young Uruguayan defender had had, until then, a short, but intense, sporting career.

Martín Cáceres (7 April, 1987) started his career in the junior ranks of Defensor Montevideo and made his debut in the Uruguayan first division for the club in 2006. He played seventeen games, scored four goals and was shown five yellow cards. In the following season he would only play nine games with Defensor because his professional career would take a big step forward in the summer of 2007.
First, he took part in the South America U-20s championships where he helped Uruguay to third place as well as being named the tournament’s best defender. Cáceres repeated his fine performances in the U-20s World Cup in Canada and so generated interest from some European clubs.

Villarreal signed him in August 2007 but loaned him out to Recreativo. Martín Cáceres played a huge role in keeping the Andalusian side in the first division. Wearing the number 4 shirt, he played 34 games, scoring two goals and receiving ten yellow cards.

His fine season in Huelva brought him some recognition. He was included in UEFA’s team of upcoming stars for the 2007/08 season, along with Bojan Krkic. He also became a permanent fixture in the Uruguayan national side. His progress attracted FC Barcelona, who signed him in the summer of 2008.

PROFILE

Martín Cáceres, who stands at 1.82m, is noted for his aerial power, speed, aggression and bravery. And as well as playing as a central defender he can also play at full back or in a holding midfield role. With both Defensor Montevideo and Recreativo, as well as the Uruguayan national side, he has shown great leadership skills in defence, despite his young age.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey

Victor Valdes Arribas

Name: Víctor Valdés Arribas
Position: goalkeeper
Place of birth: Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona)
Date: 14-01-1982
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 78 kg

Víctor Valdés joined Barca as a youngster on 1st July 1992, from Peña Cinco Copas.

In September of the same year he moved with his family to Tenerife and didn't rejoin the club until three years later.

After quickly proving his worth with the youth teams and Barca B, the club coaches decided that the 2002-2003 season was to be Valdés time to form part of the first team squad. At first, he alternated appearances with Roberto Bonano but finished the season as regular first choice under Radomir Antic.

He consolidated his place as in the starting line-up in the 2003-04 season. He played most of Barca's matches that season and put in some excellent performances, helping the team to finish as runners-up.

In the 2005-06 season Valdés was one of the key players in Barça’s double of the League and the Champions League. Especially memorable are the crucial saves he made in the final in Paris as Barça won its second ever Champions League.

In the 2006-07 season Valdés remained a fixture in the Barça goal and played in all 38 League games. In the 2007-08 campaign he only stood down in the last three games to give José Manuel Pinto a chance to make his first team debut. All this time Valdés has been improving and is now one of the players who has played most games between the sticks for the club.

CHARACTERISTICS

One of the things that needed to be worked on after the first season, namely coming off his line, started to pick up in his second campaign with the first team. He is now a keeper of proven quality and has a great deal of experience in spite of his relative youth.

HONOURS

FC Barcelona
2008/09 Champions League
2008/09 Liga
2008/09 Copa del Rey
2006/07 Spanish Supercup
2005/06 Champions League
2005/06 Liga
2005/06 Spanish Supercup
2004/05 Liga

Individual Awards
2004/05 Spanish League Zamora