Raúl Valbuena Explained

Raúl Valbuena
Fullname:Raúl Valbuena Cano
Birth Date:23 April 1975
Birth Place:Madrid, Spain
Height:1.940NaN0
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthyears1:1986–1991
Youthclubs1:Leganés
Youthyears2:1992–1994
Youthclubs2:Real Madrid
Years1:1991–1992
Years2:1994–1995
Caps2:27
Goals2:0
Years3:1995–1998
Caps3:60
Goals3:0
Years4:1998–1999
Caps4:18
Goals4:0
Years5:1999–2000
Caps5:26
Goals5:0
Years6:2000–2002
Caps6:51
Goals6:0
Years7:2002–2006
Caps7:13
Goals7:0
Years8:2004–2005
Clubs8:Albacete (loan)
Caps8:21
Goals8:0
Years9:2006–2008
Caps9:30
Goals9:0
Totalcaps:246
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1992
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:1992
Nationalcaps2:2
Nationalgoals2:0
Manageryears1:2009–2015
Managerclubs1:Zaragoza (youth)
Manageryears2:2015–2016
Managerclubs2:Sariñena

Raúl Valbuena Cano (born 23 April 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Born in Madrid, Valbuena made his senior debut with CD Leganés' reserve team, aged only 16. In the 1992 off-season he joined Real Madrid's youth setup, and was promoted to the C-side in 1994.[1]

In 1995, Valbuena was assigned to Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División. He played his first match as a professional on 24 March 1996, starting in a 1–0 away win against CA Marbella.[2]

Valbuena also suffered relegation in the 1996–97 season, and in summer 1998 he moved to another reserve team, RCD Mallorca B also in the second level. After splitting first-choice duties with Leo Franco, he signed for fellow league club CD Toledo in July 1999.

In 2000, Valbuena joined Albacete Balompié, appearing regularly during his two-year spell. On 6 June 2002 he moved to Real Zaragoza,[3] but only appeared in one league match in an eventual top-flight promotion.

Valbuena made his La Liga debut on 21 September 2003, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–3 away loss to Real Sociedad.[4] He featured sparingly during the campaign, and was subsequently loaned to former side Albacete on 15 July 2004.[5]

Valbuena was regularly used by the Castile-La Mancha-based team – only being limited due to injuries –[6] which suffered relegation. On 1 May 2005, after starting in a 0–2 defeat at FC Barcelona, he suffered Lionel Messi's first league goal, the second of the match.[7]

Valbuena returned to Zaragoza in 2005, where he notably played 25 minutes in the 2006 Copa del Rey Final 1–4 loss against RCD Espanyol, after replacing field player Delio Toledo due to César Sánchez's dismissal.[8] He left the club the following year, and signed a three-year deal with Alba;[9] he retired with the latter in 2008, at the age of 33.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.raulvalbuena.com/index.php/biografia Biografía (Biography)
  2. http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1996/03/25/pagina-36/1334213/pdf.html#&mode=fullScreen Marbella, 0 – R. Madrid B, 1
  3. http://www.aragondigital.es/noticia.asp?notid=5166&secid=15 Paco Flores y Valbuena llegan al Real Zaragoza (Paco Flores and Valbuena arrive at Real Zaragoza)
  4. http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/2003/09/22/pagina-26/1514013/pdf.html#&mode=fullScreen Semana grande de la Real (Big week for Real)
  5. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2004/07/15/mas_futbol/1089872838_850215.html Raúl Valbuena es la nueva incorporación para la portería (Raúl Valbuena is the new addition for the goal)
  6. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2004/11/03/mas_futbol/1099466841_850215.html Valbuena fue operado ayer por segunda vez de su fractura (Valbuena underwent second surgery to his fracture yesterday)
  7. http://www.marca.com/2014/11/25/futbol/equipos/barcelona/1416916315.html Valbuena: "Me dijeron: 'hay un chavalín que va a ser muy bueno'" (Valbuena: "They told me: 'there is a little kid who will be great'")
  8. http://archivo.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/copa_del_rey/es/desarrollo/638512.html El Espanyol desquicia al Zaragoza y se alza con la Copa (Espanyol unsettle Zaragoza and lift Cup)
  9. http://futbol.as.com/futbol/2006/07/26/mas_futbol/1153864811_850215.html Valbuena se marcha al Albacete (Valbuena goes to Albacete)