Víctor Valdés is on course to collect his fourth Zamora trophy and the third in a row for having the best goalkeeping record in the league. With a clean sheet against Malaga he’ll end the season with a coefficient of 0.48 goals conceded.
He made his debut in the first game of the 2002/03 season at home to Atlético Madrid, but it was
not until the following season, 2003/04, that he became the regular first choice stopper. He has
now played for eight seasons in one of the most hotly disputed positions in the competition.
Best record
Valdés has conceded 16 goals in 32 games, i.e. an average of 0.5 goals
a game. These stats are his best yet. In the first season he won the Zamora, 2004/05, his
coefficient was 0.71. In 2009, it was 0.89 and last year he ended with 0.63.
Close to league record
The goal conceded away to Levante prevented Valdés from reaching the all-time best record in
the competition, which is still held by Deportivo’s Paco Liaño, who finished the 1993/94
season conceding 0.47 goals a game, while if Valdés keeps clean sheet against Malaga, he’ll
have 0.48. Instead it would be the second best record ever.
Beating a legend
His fourth title means Víctor Valdés has now beaten the legendary Ricardo Zamora, after whom
the trophy is named, who won it three times in 1929, 1932 and 1933. But he has not yet caught
Barcelona’s keeper in the 50s and 60s, Antoni Ramallets, who won the Zamora a record five
times.