07.07.2009 12:15
Custodian of Barça’s goal
Anna Segura
Víctor Valdés’s contract renewal to 2014 is another step forward in the Barça keeper’s career in which he has become the club’s undisputed choice between the sticks.
Since Andoni Zubizarreta left FC Barcelona, none of his successors had
staked such a claim to goalkeeper’s jersey. Or at least not until 1 September 2002 when the
20-year-old Víctor Valdés came out of the reserves to take his place between the posts for the
first time.
Big leap with Rijkaard
Although he made his debut in 2002/03 under Louis Van Gaal, Víctor Valdés found he alternated
between the first team and the reserves. But in Rijkaard’s first year, Valdés made the big
leap and played virtually the whole season ahead of the recently signed Turk Rüstu.
Upward trend
Since then Valdés has become a fixture in the always
difficult Barça goal. In that time he has won three League titles (2004/05, 2005/06 and 2008/09),
two Champions Leagues (2005/06 and 2008/09), a King’s Cup (2008/09) and two Spanish Super
Cups (2005/06 and 2006/07).
Crucial
The final in Paris and the away leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea show
how crucial a player Valdés is. He kept out Henry, then playing for Arsenal, in 2006 and did the
same to Chelsea’s Didier Drogba this season.
225 League games
By the end of the 2008/09 season Víctor Valdés had racked up 225 League games for Barça. That
puts him fourth in the club’s all-time ranking for keepers behind Zubizarreta (301),
Ramallets (288) and Sadurní (247).
Plus this season Valdés, a product of the club’s La Masia academy, became one of the
four club captains alongside Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta.