La Liga - Player Profle: Raul Albiol
Raul Albiol was born in Vilamarxant, Valencia in Spain and began his career as a footballer with Valencia. The young Spanish defenders father, Miguel played for Benidorm CF, a small Spanish club side which Raul also joined in his youth. His determination and dedication in training with Benidorm CF earned him a spot in the club’s Under-Nine side. Raul impressed in Benidorm’s youth team match against Valencia F.C’s youth side. Valencia’s scouts were overwhelmed due to his performances against them and quickly signed him up for a trial.
Raul was successful at the trial and joined the Spanish giants youth team. He made his first team debut for Valencia, against AIK Fotboll in a UEFA Cup match, when he was just eighteen years old. After his debut match, he spent the rest of the season with Valencia’s B side in Spanish league football’s second division. In the summer of 2004, Raul was all set to join Getafe on a loan spell from Valencia but his career as a footballer suffered a serious blow when he was involved in a serious car accident.
The injuries that he sustained from the accident caused him to be put in an intensive care unit. However, Albiol did manage to recover successfully and played a very important role for Getafe as they succeeded in their bid to remain a first division Spanish football club. His debut for Getafe came on 15th of January 2005; in a one all draw against Athletico Madrid. His most famous goal for the Madrid club came against their rivals Real Madrid, in a two one home win at the end of the 2004-2005 season.
For the 2005-2006 season, Albiol was recalled by Valencia where he became an integral part of their starting eleven players. His first full season with Valencia was quite successful but his second season with his childhood club, which was the 2006-2007 season was a better one. In the opening game of the season, he scored his one and only goal of the season against Real Betis, a match that ended 2-1 in favor of Valencia.
During his four seasons at Valencia, Raul established himself as a wonderful Spanish center back. He also won the Spanish domestic cup with them in the 2007-2008 season. However, on 25th of June 2009, Albiol left Valencia for Real Madrid for a fee of around fifteen million Euros. He became the first signing made by Madrid’s new club president Florentino Perez, during his second spell at the club.
On 2nd of July, 2009, Raul was presented as a club player in a ceremony which was held at Santiago Bernabeau. He was given the number 18 shirt for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. Raul’s first goal for Real Madrid came on 8th of December, 2009 in a champions league win over Marseille in France. In terms of on the field success, the season ended in despair for the Spanish defender as the Real ended as the runners up to Barcelona in the Spanish league season.
Raul Albiol was also part of Spain’s 2010 FIFA World Cup winning squad but he did not play a single game during the tournament in South Africa due to an injury he suffered in training with the national team squad.
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