Raúl Albiol: The importance of starting on the right foot
Of the players joining the club at the beginning of the 2019/2020 season, Raúl Albiol is by far the most well-decorated. The star Valencian footballer has two Copa del Rey wins under his belt, over 400 appearances in a top-flight league, and several international trophies to hang his proverbial hat on. His inclusion in the Villarreal lineup has a lot of fans excited, especially since Albiol has one of the most interesting stories in the league.
Raúl Albiol started playing club football about as early as anyone could. Being born in the Valencian town of Vilamarxant, he naturally started his youth career at the nearby team, Ribarroja, when he was nine. That’s right. He started his career before he was in the double-digits. He eventually went on to play in his hometown of Vilamarxant before moving on to the famous Valencia CF. When he became old enough to play in the older leagues, he started off at Valencia’s B-team before moving up to the first team only a year later.
That transition was a little more complicated than Raúl, or anyone else, could have expected. He was loaned to Getafe CF almost immediately after he was picked up by the Valencian team, but on his way to sign the contract in Cuenca, he was in a crippling car accident with his father and agent. After being rushed to the ICU, he had to undergo major surgery, during which the doctors had to remove his spleen because of how badly it had been damaged. All of that happened when he was only nineteen years old. Miraculously, he not only survived but also made a swift recovery. Less than six months later, he returned to Getafe CF to make his debut in La Liga, proving that his dedication to football was unmatched.
Albiol is not just admirable for the fact that he survived long enough to make it to La Liga, he also arrived in style. He was immediately recognised for his height, which made his aerial game phenomenal and his versatility as a defender, being able to switch between center back, right back, and defensive midfielder with ease. In his first full season with Valencia CF, he played in over two-thirds of the games and helped the team reach third in the league. Two years later, he won his first Copa del Rey in 2008, a feat that had not been accomplished by Valencia in almost a decade. Around this time, he was chosen to represent Spain in the 2008 UEFA European Championship along with Villarreal legends Joan Capdevila, Santi Cazorla, and Marcos Senna. Needless to say, that team brought home another international victory for their country.
Soon after, Albiol’s success caught the attention of Real Madrid, who bought him soon after. While under contract for “Los Blancos,” he was a part of the Spanish team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, won first place in La Liga in 2011/2012, and won yet another Copa del Rey in 2011. Like always, Albiol showed his talent and love for the game during his time with Real Madrid, but despite his strong start, he was played less and less often in later years until finally he was sold to S.S.C. Napoli, another first division team, this time from Italy.
The move to Italy was incredibly successful for Albiol. He played more for that team than any other, and with his help, the club finished within the top 3 almost every season. In 2013/14, he won the Coppa Italia, which led to him winning the Supercoppa Italia in 2014. During this time, he also played for Spain in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has won local titles, first division league trophies, and international victory after international victory. Albiol’s history is full of success and overcoming adversity. No one can doubt why fans are so excited to have him on the Yellow Submarine.
Albiol is excited to be playing for Villarreal as well. After playing in Italy for six years, he’s happy to finally return to Spain, saying in an interview with AS, “I’m returning to the league, one of the best in the world…. I have much to gain by coming back to play in a good league and on a good team like Villarreal.”
He already has some ideas about how to take back Villarreal’s position near the top of La Liga, saying, “The most important thing is to start the season well. The first games are important for the team to get some confidence…. We know that we should start strong.” We hope that we can start off strong as well. With such a successful player like Albiol on our side, we are confident that Villarreal will be able to start the season on the right foot.
