Mathieu Valbuena

french association football player

Mathieu Valbuena ( digest 28 September 1984 ) is a french professional football player who plays for Greek Super League golf club Olympiacos. He plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger and is known for his pace, technical ability, and dogged dash of play. [ 4 ] He is described by his erstwhile coach at Libourne Saint-Seurin Didier Tholot as “ an explosive musician who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all ascribable to his dribbling skills. ” [ 5 ] Due to his little stature, Valbuena is nicknamed le petit vélo, which translates to “ the little bicycle ”. [ 6 ] Valbuena began his career at professional club Bordeaux. He was let go from the club after two seasons and subsequently joined amateur cabaret Langon-Castets in the fifth division of french football. In 2004, Valbuena joined Libourne Saint-Seurin in the Championnat National, the one-third level of french football. The midfielder had a beneficial 2005–06 temper with the club and signed with Ligue 1 club Marseille, anterior to the 2006–07 temper. With Marseille, Valbuena played in the UEFA Champions League for the first prison term and, in the 2009–10 season, was part of the team that won the league and league cup double, equally well as the Trophée des Champions.

Reading: Mathieu Valbuena

Valbuena is a french international and made his debut with the team in May 2010 in a friendly equal against Costa Rica. He scored his foremost international goal in the lapp match and was named to the team to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a leave. Valbuena appeared in lone one of the three matches France contested at the World Cup. In November 2010, he scored his second career international goal against England at Wembley Stadium .

Club career [edit ]

early career [edit ]

Valbuena began his football career at hometown golf club ES Blanquefort. He developed an interest in the sport of football through his paternal heritage as he often attended matches at the Camp Nou in Barcelona during school holidays as a youth. [ 7 ] At the long time of nine, his football career was put on handle after he received all over 50 stitches in one of his legs following a naiant accident. [ 8 ] After the wound healed, Valbuena returned to football and cursorily impressed clubhouse coaches. In 1998, he was given a Best Player prize at a local youth tournament played at the Camp des Loges, the aim center of professional baseball club Paris Saint-Germain. [ 8 ] In 2001, Valbuena was recruited by professional club FC Girondins de Bordeaux. [ 7 ] Valbuena spent two years playing on the club ‘s under-18 team play alongside the likes of Rio Mavuba and Marouane Chamakh. Valbuena appeared in only three matches with the military reserve team before being released from the cabaret after failing to impress Jean-Louis Garcia, the reserve team coach. [ 9 ] It has been normally stated that Valbuena was let go by the club due to his modest size ; however, former club actor and trainer Philippe Lucas explained that Valbuena was let go because he struggled to “ transform his game from that of a young musician to that of a professional ” and that “ his game needed to be faster and he needed to avoid confrontations ”. [ 7 ] [ 10 ]

Amateur career [edit ]

Valbuena with Libourne Saint-Seurin in 2006 After being let go by Bordeaux, Valbuena put his ambitions of becoming a professional player on hold, and was recommended by Garcia to play for amateurish cabaret Langan-Castets in the Championnat de France amateurish 2, the fifth class of french football. [ 7 ] Unlike at Bordeaux where he trained numerous times a workweek, Valbuena only trained three times a week with Langon-Castets and, due to the club ‘s amateurish condition, worked as a sports patronize salesman when he was not playing football. [ 5 ] [ 7 ] In his only season at the club, he impressed with his technical ability and was subsequently recruited by Championnat National club Libourne Saint-Seurin who had scouted the musician eight times while he was at Langon-Castets. [ 7 ] While at Libourne Saint-Seurin, Valbuena ‘s dally went through an upgrade. In his first temper at the cabaret, he struggled for meaningful minutes under passenger car André Menot, playing in 20 league matches and scoring two goals. [ 11 ] Menot was fired mid-season and was replaced by Didier Tholot. The club ultimately finished the season in 13th position in the league. In the adjacent season, coach Tholot took immediate notice of Valbuena. Tholot described Valbuena as “ the architect of the team ” and sought to build the team around him. [ 7 ] As a solution, Valbuena ‘s play time improved dramatically. He played in 31 league matches and scored nine goals, all of which came in victories. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Valbuena earned rave reviews for his performances, but inactive suffered criticism on occasion due to “ wanting to do everything ” as stated by Tholot. [ 7 ] On 12 August 2005, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 succeed over Moulins. [ 14 ] Two weeks later, Valbuena scored a bivalent in a 3–1 victory away to Cherbourg. [ 15 ] One low-point during the season came on 9 September 2005 in Libourne ‘s 2–1 kill to Gazélec Ajaccio when Valbuena received his first-ever crimson card. [ 16 ] The passing was the team ‘s inaugural of the season and Valbuena was suspended for three matches. [ 17 ] Valbuena returned to the team on 7 October in a 1–0 loss to Bayonne. [ 18 ] In November 2005, Valbuena returned to his early season form after scoring four goals over the course of three matches. He scored his first goal of the month on 5 November in a 2–1 win at home against Nîmes. [ 19 ] Two weeks late, Valbuena scored against Angers in another gain and, in the follow week, scored both goals in a 2–0 winnings over Pau. [ 20 ] [ 21 ] As a result of his performances, Valbuena was linked to respective clubs in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, most notably Saint-Étienne and Auxerre, in December. The midfielder, however, denied the approaches stating his hope to help Libourne achieve forwarding to the second division. [ 22 ] Valbuena went scoreless through the winter months, but remained a fixture in the starting football team as the club remained in controversy for promotion to Ligue 2. [ 23 ] On 29 April 2006, with Libourne in a battle for the final examination promotion spot, Valbuena scored another double over, this clock against Toulon in another shutout victory. [ 24 ] Libourne went unbeaten in its final four matches, which resulted in the baseball club complete in one-third place, therefore achieving forwarding to Ligue 2 for the first time in its history since the local clubs of Libourne and Saint-Seurin agreed to merge in 1998. [ 23 ] For his efforts that season, Valbuena was named the league ‘s Player of the Year, which led to heightened concern from respective professional clubs in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1. [ 25 ] [ 26 ]

Marseille [edit ]

Valbuena at a training session in 2007
On 9 June 2006, Valbuena signed his first base professional contract after agreeing to a transfer to Olympique de Marseille. He signed a three-year batch with the club and was assigned the numeral 28 shirt by coach Eric Gerets. [ 27 ] Valbuena made his professional introduction for the club on 15 July 2006 in the team ‘s one-third round match against ukrainian club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. [ 28 ] He subsequently struggled to meet the demands of educate and suffered an ankle injury in the pre-season period, which resulted in the musician missing the start of the 2006–07 season. [ 29 ] Valbuena made his league debut on 19 November 2006 in a league couple against Valenciennes appearing as a substitute in the team ‘s 1–0 victory. [ 30 ] He appeared as a substitute for the majority of the season and evening spent some clock playing on the cabaret ‘s reservation team in the fifth division. [ 31 ] On 19 May 2007, Valbuena scored his first gear professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Saint-Étienne. The game-winning goal allowed the baseball club to maintain control of moment put, which merited Marseille a topographic point in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2003–04 season. [ 32 ] Following the departure of Franck Ribéry to german clubhouse Bayern Munich ahead of the 2007–08 season, Valbuena was inserted as his substitute. It is during this temper the midfielder acquired the nickname le petit vélo ( the small bike ), which is a dally on Valbuena ‘s size and his rear golf club ‘s stadium, the Stade Vélodrome. [ 6 ] Valbuena started the season off healthy under Gerets and featured primarily as a ersatz, but by recently August 2007, had become a starter forming partnerships in the midfield with Samir Nasri, Lorik Cana, and Benoît Cheyrou. [ 6 ] [ 31 ] Valbuena made his UEFA Champions League debut on 18 September 2007 against turkish club Beşiktaş appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 win. [ 33 ] In the team ‘s future group stage pit against English club Liverpool at Anfield, Valbuena scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. [ 34 ] The victory over Liverpool was the first time a french club had always won at Anfield. [ 35 ] Later that month, Valbuena signed a narrow extension with Marseille, committing himself to the cabaret until June 2012. [ 36 ]
Valbuena playing for Marseille in 2008 In the league, Valbuena appeared in 29 matches and scored three goals. The first two goals came in the golf club ‘s 6–1 succeed over Caen on 26 January 2008. [ 37 ] The beginning goal Valbuena scored in the couple was voted the Goal of the year by the Ligue de Football Professionnel and was scored from about 40 metres ( 44 yd ) out. [ 38 ] On 9 March, Valbuena, for the second straight season, scored the game-winning goal in a winnings over Saint-Étienne. [ 39 ] due to his promise performances, Marseille awarded him another contract extension in April 2008, which added an supernumerary class to his contract. [ 40 ] In the 2008–09 temper, Valbuena became a regular appetizer and appeared in 31 league matches. He scored three goals ; two in victories over Auxerre and Le Havre and one in a loss to Paris Saint-Germain. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] [ 43 ] After the season, Gerets, an supporter of Valbuena, was let go and Didier Deschamps was named as his replacement. In June 2009, Deschamps declared that Valbuena was not in his tactical plans and sought to place the midfielder on the transfer market. [ 44 ] Club president Pape Diouf and several members of the board disagreed with Deschamps sentiments stating that Valbuena was “ un-transferable ”. [ 45 ] The indecision over Valbuena ‘s future resulted in the player being linked to English clubs Aston Villa, Arsenal, and Liverpool. [ citation needed ] Valbuena ‘s future was ultimately settled following the settlement of the transfer window when he was not sold. As a solution, he was relegated to the bench for the first one-half of the season under Deschamps and the disruptive relationship reached its zenith in December when the two had a face-to-face confluence, which resulted in Valbuena declaring he wanted to leave the club in the January 2010 transfer window to find even football. [ 46 ] [ 47 ] On 17 October, Valbuena scored his first goal in his first league startle of the season away to Nancy. [ 48 ] In February 2010, Valbuena returned to the starting lineup and remained a starter for the rest of the season. He was an important part of the team that won the league and league cup double. In the Coupe de la Ligue, Valbuena scored the game-winning goal in the semi-finals against Lille. [ 49 ] In the concluding, he scored the second gear goal in a 3–1 victory over his former club Bordeaux. [ 50 ] The Coupe de la Ligue title was Marseille ‘s first major honor since winning the UEFA Champions League in 1993. In April 2010, Valbuena scored goals in three straight matches, all wins, against Nice, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Saint-Étienne. [ 51 ] [ 52 ] [ 53 ] The victories helped Marseille maintain its first-place stead and Valbuena was praised by Deschamps. Marseille ultimately won the league after defeating Rennes on 5 May 2010. [ 54 ] [ 55 ]
Valbuena celebrating a goal in 2010 In the 2010–11 season, Valbuena was inserted as a crank by Deschamps for the start of the campaign despite the arrivals of wingers Loïc Rémy and André Ayew. Valbuena was besides hampered by the constant media inquiries about what happened at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, on which he has refused to comment, stating “ I was a catechumen in the France team, I will not allow myself to discuss the events ” and that he was “ trying to forget ” the incident. [ 56 ] Valbuena scored his beginning goal of the season on 12 September 2010 in a 2–2 pull back with Monaco. [ 57 ] On 23 November, he scored the open goal in the team ‘s 3–0 winnings over russian club FC Spartak Moscow in the Champions League. The victory resulted in Marseille qualifying for the smasher fortune of the rival for the first time since 2000. [ 58 ] Four days late, Valbuena scored the third base goal in the team ‘s 4–0 win over Montpellier. [ 59 ] On 22 January, Valbuena suffered a medial ligament twist in his leftover stifle as a leave of a undertake from Ayew during a training session. [ 60 ] He was, initially, ruled out for up to six weeks, but returned to training ahead of the team ‘s Champions League match against English club Manchester United on 22 February. [ 61 ] Valbuena made his hark back to the team in the moment leg at Old Trafford appearing as a second-half utility. Marseille were defeated 2–1 aside, which resulted in the club losing on aggregate by the lapp scoreline. After appearing as a utility in two consecutive league matches after returning from injury, Valbuena made his inaugural begin in a 2–1 winnings over Le Classique rivals Paris Saint-Germain. [ 62 ] On 23 April 2011, he made his second consecutive startle in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue. Marseille won the equal defeating Montpellier 1–0 to claim its second straight league cup claim. [ 63 ] On 1 May, Valbuena scored the team ‘s alone goal in its 1–1 pull with Auxerre. [ 64 ] He finished the campaign by appearing in the team ‘s final five matches as Marseille finished runner-up to Lille in the league. Valbuena got off to a quick depart in the team ‘s 2011–12 campaign. He opened the campaign by assisting on a Loïc Rémy goal in the open couple of the season against Sochaux. [ 65 ] The follow week, he assisted on both goals in a 2–2 draw with Auxerre. [ 66 ] On 28 August, Valbuena scored both of Marseille ‘s goal in a 3–2 kill off to Lille. [ 67 ] The following month, he manufactured another statistical output after assisting on both of Rémy ‘s goals in a 2–0 win over Evian. [ 68 ] In the cabaret ‘s Champions League campaign, Valbuena failed to chart statistically in the team ‘s first five group stage matches. On 6 December, in the team ‘s concluding group stage pit against german baseball club Borussia Dortmund, Valbuena scored the match-winning goal after appearing as a substitute 14 minutes prior. The goal, described by UEFA as “ an unstoppable inject ”, allowed Marseille progress to the UEFA Champions League hard phase. [ 69 ] In the team ‘s final two December league matches anterior to the winter fracture against Lorient and Nancy, Valbuena scored a goal and assisted on another in each match ; Marseille won both matches. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] He finished the twilight season with nine assists, a match that presently leads the league. Following his passing to Dynamo Moscow, Olympique de Marseille honoured Valbuena by retiring his number 28 shirt on 5 August 2014. [ 72 ]

Dynamo Moscow [edit ]

On 2 August 2014, Valbuena signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Moscow in a reported £6 million transfer. [ 73 ] In his second game for Dynamo and first as a starter on 13 August 2014 against FC Ufa, he assisted on both of his team ‘s goals in a 2-0 victory. In his future game against FC Arsenal Tula on 17 August 2014, he again assisted on both goals in Dynamo ‘s 2-1 victory. On 28 August 2014, Dynamo defeated AC Omonia in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League play-off round, through a decisive finish by Christopher Samba in the 93rd moment of the tax return peg following a free recoil performed by Valbuena, and qualified for the first time for the group stage of a european contest ( since the group stage was introduced ). [ 74 ] On 31 August 2014, he scored his first finish for Dynamo in a 2-0 victory over FC Krasnodar. On 16 September 2014, he had to undergo an hand brake appendectomy. [ 75 ] He returned to playing on 2 October 2014 in a Europa League group plot against PSV Eindhoven, in which Yuri Zhirkov scored a fetching goal deep into injury clock time after a corner delivered by Valbuena .

Olympique Lyonnais [edit ]

On 11 August 2015, Valbuena returned to Ligue 1, signing a three-year condense with former clubhouse Marseille ‘s rivals Lyon for a report fee of €5 million. [ 76 ] [ 77 ]

Fenerbahçe [edit ]

On 13 June 2017, Valbuena was signed by Fenerbahçe for a €1.5 million transfer fee ( plus €1 million bonus ) for three seasons. [ 78 ] [ 79 ]

Olympiacos [edit ]

On 27 May 2019, Valbuena signed a annual sign with Greek Superleague clubhouse Olympiacos. [ 80 ] His beginning finish for the club, a penalty in a 2–0 win over İstanbul Başakşehir F.K., helped Olympiacos advance to the UEFA Champions League playoffs. [ 81 ] His penalty was the lone goal of their irregular match of the 2019–20 Superleague, away to Larissa. [ 82 ] After Olympiacos went two goals down at home to Tottenham Hotspur in their foremost equal of the Champions League group stage, Daniel Podence scored just before half-time with Valbuena ‘s aid and soon after the break, Jan Vertonghen fouled Valbuena for a penalty which he himself converted to complete the comeback. [ 83 ]

International career [edit ]

Valbuena playing for France in 2014. Valbuena did not receive any call-ups to any of the France home young football teams. however, following his impressive performances with Marseille, he was awarded a cry up to the elder team by coach Raymond Domenech for the team ‘s matches against England and Mali in March 2008. [ 88 ] however, he picked up an injury and was forced to miss out. [ 89 ] Valbuena ‘s following call-up was over two years former in May 2010, when he was named to the 30-man preliminary tilt by Domenech to play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Valbuena ‘s call up was considered surprising by the media and the player himself, despite Valbuena playing well with his rear club who won the league and league cup double in the 2009–10 season. [ 90 ] [ 91 ] many journalists in the french media compared Valbuena ‘s call-up to the team with Franck Ribéry ‘s call-up four years previously, as the two players parcel similarities in playing expressive style and their circumstances at the time of their respective call-ups. [ 10 ] [ 92 ] [ 93 ] Valbuena was late named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. [ 94 ] He made his national team debut on 26 May 2010 in a friendly equal against Costa Rica appearing as a stand-in in the second half. After 16 minutes on the field, Valbuena scored the game-winning goal in the team ‘s 2–1 victory. [ 95 ] At the World Cup, Valbuena made his debut in the competition in the team ‘s 2–0 loss to Mexico appearing as a utility on 17 June. [ 96 ] It was his merely appearance in the competition. During the contest, the players went on strike in protest over the ejection of striker Nicolas Anelka from the team, which resulted in all 23 players on the team being suspended for its friendly match in August 2010. [ 97 ] [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 100 ] After missing the match against Norway due to new director Laurent Blanc ‘s imposed abeyance, Valbuena made his tax return to the team in a 1–0 defeat to Belarus in UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. [ 101 ] The midfielder subsequently appeared in every match under Blanc in 2010, excluding the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in September 2010. [ 102 ] Valbuena capped his return to the national team by scoring against England in a friendly at Wembley Stadium on 17 November 2010. [ 103 ] Valbuena was included in France ‘s UEFA Euro 2012 police squad but did not make an appearance during the contest. Under new bus Didier Deschamps, Valbuena played in all ten-spot of the team ‘s matches during 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, scoring once against Georgia. [ 104 ] On 13 May 2014, Valbuena was named in France ‘s team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. [ 105 ] He was named in the starting line-up for the team ‘s opening match against Honduras, making his tournament introduction. [ 106 ] In the second group repair, he scored in a 5–2 kill of Switzerland to help Les Bleus qualify for the knockout phase. [ 107 ]

style of bring [edit ]

Valbuena on the ball for Lyon in 2016. Valbuena is described by his former bus at Libourne Saint-Seurin Didier Tholot as “ an explosive player who is capable of promptly taking two opponents out of the game to create distance, above all due to his dribbling skills. ” [ 5 ] He has been deployed as a wide midfielder or winger since his arrival to the Bordeaux train center in 2001 often playing on the right side of midfield in former Bordeaux coach Elie Baup ‘s prefer 4–3–3 formation. [ 7 ] After leaving Bordeaux, Valbuena was primarily deployed in the playmaker stead as an attacking midfielder at Langon Castets and Libourne Saint-Seurin. While at these clubs, he developed a preference for attempting to do everything as stated by both his early baseball club coaches Tholot and Jean-Pierre Léglise, the latter being his coach at Langon Castets. [ 5 ] While at the amateur clubs, Valbuena besides honed his celerity, technical ability, and developed his dogged style of play which contributed to his positive work-rate defensively. Léglise once stated that “ he had never worked with such a young person so technically brilliant ” in his coach career. Valbuena ‘s former coach besides described the actor ‘s dogged dash stating “ Whatever the build of the opponent, he will constantly tackle ” and “ he besides surprised me with the grade of his defensive shape when he is aligned on the right side ”. [ 5 ] Valbuena is besides known for his belittled size and, while at Langon, began using his bantam stature to his advantage. [ 5 ] During his first season at Marseille, he earned the nickname le petit by his former director Eric Gerets. [ 108 ] Gerets described the player as “ extremely mobile ” and a player who is “ very promptly at turning, from one side to the other ”. [ 5 ]

personal life [edit ]

Valbuena was born in the southwestern commune of Bruges in the Gironde department to mother Brigitte and church father Carlos. [ 8 ] He is of spanish origin through his founder, who is in the first place from the city of Valladolid. Valbuena ‘s forefather works for the city council of Bordeaux. [ 5 ] Valbuena grew up in nearby Blanquefort where his parents still reside. [ 109 ] On 24 December 2010, while traveling to Blanquefort to celebrate Christmas with his parents, Valbuena was involved in a car accident after losing control of his Lamborghini Murciélago while driving near Bègles. He survived the accident without any injuries. [ 110 ]

career statistics [edit ]

golf club [edit ]

As of match played 28 November 2021

International [edit ]

source : [ 102 ]

National team
Season
Apps
Goals

France
2009–10
3
1

2010–11
5
1

2011–12
4
0

2012–13
11
3

2013–14
13
1

2014–15
8
1

2015–16
8
1

Total
52
8

Honours [edit ]

Marseille [ 115 ]
Lyon

Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2016

Fenerbahçe
Olympiacos
Individual