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Revision as of 18:41, 18 June 2006
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Víctor Valdés Arribas | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | FC Barcelona | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 Jun 2006 | |||
Víctor Valdés Arribas (born January 14, 1982 in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia), nicknamed Victor, is a Catalan football goalkeeper, who currently plays for FC Barcelona of the Spanish La Liga.
Club History
He started his career with Barca's youth teams when he joined from Peña Cinco Copas on the 1st of July 1992. But in September of the same year he moved away with this family to Tenerife and had to leave the club, rejoining only three years later. After retuning he made quick progress through the youth system and was made part of the senior squad in the 2002/03 season. The early part of the season saw him play second fiddle to the then Argentine international Roberto Bonano. The arrival of Radomir Antic as the new coach saw regular first team opportunities for him.
In the 2003-04 season, he emerged as first-choice goalkeeper, and in the 2004-05 season, he played in almost all of Barcelona's matches helping Barcelona to their first league title in six years. He also won the "Zamora" award for the best goalkeeper in Spain.
The 2005-06 season saw some exceptional performances from him as he helped Barca do the double. He played a big part in Barca's UEFA Champions League 2005-06 title and in the final against Arsenal he denied Thierry Henry twice from point-blank range. His efforts saw him singled out for praise from Coach Frank Rijkaard. The "Zamora" title however eluded him as Víctor came second after Santiago Cañizares.
Skills and Playing Style
Valdes is an extremely agile keeper who despite his comparative youth likes to take control of his defence. He is an excellent shot stopper with fantastic reflexes and has great ability in 1v1 situations. A keeper in the modern mould, he also has the ability to make good defensive challenges outside the penalty area.
However, he sometimes looks unsure coming off his line and is believed to be suspect in set-piece situations. But some analysts attribute this to to the defence that plays in front of him.
General
Valdés is now considered among the top goalkeepers in La Liga and looks like a worthy successor to the great Zubizarreta. He is an admirer of goalkeepers Santiago Cañizares and Oliver Kahn.
External links
| FC Barcelona – current squad | |
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