Sunday, May 31, 2009

Victor Valdes Arribas

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

No comments:

Post a Comment