Mathieu Valbuena
Encyclopedia
Mathieu Valbuena is a French international footballer who plays for Marseille
in Ligue 1
. He plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger and is known for his quickness, technical ability, and tenacious style of play. He is described by his former coach at Libourne Saint-Seurin Didier Tholot
as "an explosive player who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all due to his dribbling skills." Due to his small stature, Valbuena is nickname
d le petit vélo, which translates to "the small bike". This is a play on Valbuena's size and the fact that Marseille's home ground is called the Stade Vélodrome
.
Valbuena began his career at professional club Bordeaux
. He was let go from the club after two seasons and subsequently joined amateur club Langon-Castets in the fifth division of French football. In 2004, Valbuena joined Libourne Saint-Seurin in the Championnat National
, the third level of French football. The midfielder had a good 2005–06 season with the club and signed with Ligue 1
club Marseille, prior to the 2006–07 season. With Marseille, Valbuena played in the UEFA Champions League
for the first time and, in the 2009–10 season
, was part of the team that won the league and league cup double
, as well as the Trophée des champions
.
Valbuena is a French international
and made his debut with the team in May 2010 in a friendly match against Costa Rica
. He scored his first international goal in the same match and was named to the team to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
as a result. Valbuena appeared in only 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
.
of Bruges
in the Gironde
department to mother Brigitte and father Carlos. He is of Spanish
origin
through his father who is originally from the Spanish city Valladolid
. Valbuena's father works for the city council of Bordeaux
. Valbuena grew up in nearby Blanquefort
where his parents still reside. 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
. The midfielder survived the accident without any injuries.
during school holidays as a youth. At the age of nine, his football career was put on hold after he received over 50 stitches in one of his legs following a swimming accident. After the injury healed, Valbuena returned to football and quickly impressed club coaches. In 1998, he was given a Best Player award at a local youth tournament played at the Camp des Loges
, the training center of professional club Paris Saint-Germain. In 2001, Valbuena was recruited by professional club FC Girondins de Bordeaux
.
Valbuena spent two years playing on the club's under-18 team playing alongside the likes of Rio Mavuba and Marouane Chamakh. Valbuena appeared in only three matches with the reserve team before being released from the club after failing to impress Jean-Louis Garcia, the reserve team manager. It has been commonly stated that Valbuena was let go by the club due to his small size, however, former club player and trainer Philippe Lucas
explained that Valbuena was let go because he struggled to "transform his game from that of a young player to that of a professional" and that "his game needed to be faster and he needed to avoid confrontations".
. Unlike at Bordeaux where he trained numerous times a week, Valbuena only trained three times a week with Langon-Castets and, due to the club's amateur status, worked as a sports shop salesman when he was not playing football. 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 player eight times while he was at Langon-Castets.
While at Libourne Saint-Seurin, Valbuena's play went through an upgrade. In his first season at the club, he struggled for meaningful minutes under coach André Menot, playing in 20 league matches and scoring two goals. Menot was fired mid-season and was replaced by Didier Tholot
. The club ultimately finished the season in 13th place in the league. In the next season, manager Tholot took immediate notice of Valbuena. Tholot described Valbuena as "the architect of the team" and sought to build the team around him. As a result, Valbuena's playing time improved dramatically. He played in 31 league matches and scored nine goals, all of which came in victories. Valbuena earned rave reviews for his performances, but still suffered criticism on occasion due to "wanting to do everything" as stated by Tholot. On 12 August 2005, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 win over Moulins
. Two weeks later, Valbuena scored a double in a 3–1 victory away to Cherbourg
. One low-point during the season came on 9 September 2005 in Libourne's 2–1 defeat to Gazélec Ajaccio
when Valbuena received his first-ever red card
. The loss was the team's first of the season and Valbuena was suspended for three matches. Valbuena returned to the team on 7 October in a 1–0 loss to Bayonne
.
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
. Two weeks later, Valbuena scored against Angers
in another win and, in the following week, scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Pau
. As a result of his performances, Valbuena was linked to several clubs in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, most notably Saint-Étienne and Auxerre
, in December. The midfielder, however, denied the approaches stating his desire to help Libourne achieve promotion to the second division. Valbuena went scoreless through the winter months, but remained a fixture in the starting eleven as the club remained in contention for promotion to Ligue 2
. On 29 April 2006, with Libourne in a battle for the final promotion spot, Valbuena scored another double, this time against Toulon
in another shutout victory. Libourne went unbeaten in its final four matches, which resulted in the club finishing in third place, thus achieving promotion to Ligue 2
for the first time in its history since the local clubs of Libourne
and Saint-Seurin agreed to merged together in 1998. For his efforts that season, Valbuena was named the league's Player of the Year, which led to heightened interest from several professional clubs in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1
.
. He signed a three-year deal with the club and was assigned the number 28 shirt by manager Eric Gerets. Valbuena made his professional debut for the club on 15 July 2006 in the team's third round match against Ukrainian
club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He subsequently struggled to meet the demands of training and suffered an ankle injury in the pre-season period, which resulted in the player missing the start of the 2006–07 season. Valbuena made his league debut on 19 November 2006 in a league match against Valenciennes
appearing as a substitute in the team's 1–0 victory. He appeared as a substitute for the majority of the season and even spent some time playing on the club's reserve team in the fifth division. On 19 May 2007, Valbuena scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Saint-Étienne
. The game-winning goal allowed the club to maintain control of second place, which merited Marseille a spot in the UEFA Champions League
for the first time since the 2003–04 season.
Following the departure of Franck Ribéry
to German
club Bayern Munich
ahead of the 2007–08 season, Valbuena was inserted as his replacement. It is during this season the midfielder acquired the nickname le petit vélo (the small bike), which is a play on Valbuena's size and his parent club's stadium, the Stade Vélodrome
. Valbuena started the season off healthy under Gerets and featured primarily as a substitute, but by late August 2007, had became a starter forming partnerships in the midfield with Samir Nasri
, Lorik Cana
, and Benoît Cheyrou
. Valbuena made his UEFA Champions League
debut on 18 September 2007 against Turkish
club Beşiktaş
appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 win. In the team's next group stage match against English
club Liverpool
at Anfield
, Valbuena scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. The victory over Liverpool was the first time a French club had ever won at Anfield. Later that month, Valbuena signed a contract extension with Marseille, committing himself to the club until June 2012.
In the league, Valbuena appeared in 29 matches and scored three goals. The first two goals came in the club's 6–1 win over Caen on 26 January 2008. The first goal Valbuena scored in the match was voted the Goal of the Year by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
and was scored from almost 40 metres (43.7 yd) out. On 9 March, Valbuena, for the second straight season, scored the game-winning goal in a win over Saint-Étienne. Due to his promising performances, Marseille awarded him another contract extension in April 2008, which added an extra year to his contract.
In the 2008–09 season, Valbuena became a regular starter 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. After the season, Gerets, an admirer 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. Club president Pape Diouf
and several members of the board disagreed with Deschamps sentiments stating that Valbuena was "un-transferable". The indecision over Valbuena's future resulted in the player being linked to English clubs Aston Villa
, Arsenal
, and Liverpool. Valbuena's future was ultimately settled following the closure of the transfer window when he wasn't sold. As a result, he was relegated to the bench for the first half of the season under Deschamps and the tumultuous relationship reached its zenith in December when the two had a face-to-face meeting, which resulted in Valbuena declaring he wanted to leave the club in the January 2010 transfer window to find regular football.
On 17 October, Valbuena scored his first goal in his first league start of the season away to Nancy
. 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
. In the final
, he scored the second goal in a 3–1 victory over his former club Bordeaux. The Coupe de la Ligue
title was Marseille's first major honour 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. The victories helped Marseille maintain its first place position and Valbuena was praised by Deschamps. Marseille ultimately won the league after defeating Rennes on 5 May 2010.
In the 2010–11 season
, Valbuena was inserted as a starter by Deschamps for the start of the campaign despite the arrivals of wingers Loïc Rémy
and André Ayew
. Valbuena was also 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 neophyte in the France team, I will not allow myself to discuss the events" and that he was "trying to forget" the incident. Valbuena scored his first goal of the season on 12 September 2010 in a 2–2 draw with Monaco
. On 23 November, he scored the opening goal in the team's 3–0 win over Russia
n club FC Spartak Moscow
in the Champions League. The victory resulted in Marseille qualifying for the knockout portion of the competition for the first time since 2000. Four days later, Valbuena scored the third goal in the team's 4–0 win over Montpellier
. On 22 January, Valbuena suffered a medial ligament sprain in his left knee as a result of a tackle from Ayew during a training session. 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.
s. Due to his impressive performances with Marseille, he was awarded a call up to the senior team
by coach Raymond Domenech
for the team's matches against England
and Mali
in March 2008. However, he picked up an injury and was forced to miss out.
Valbuena's next call-up was over two years later in May 2010, when he was named to the 30-man preliminary list 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 parent club who won the league and league cup double
in the 2009–10 season. 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 share similarities in playing style and their circumstances at the time of their respective call-ups. Valbuena was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. He made his national team debut on 26 May 2010 in a friendly match against Costa Rica
appearing as a substitute in the second half. After 16 minutes on the field, Valbuena scored the game-winning goal in the team's 2–1 victory. At the World Cup, Valbuena made his debut in the competition in the team's 2–0 loss to Mexico
appearing as a substitute on 17 June. It was his only appearance in the competition. During the competition, the players went on strike in protest over the expulsion 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.
After missing the match against Norway
due to new manager Laurent Blanc
's imposed suspension, Valbuena made his return to the team in a 1–0 defeat to Belarus
in UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. The midfielder subsequently appeared in every match under Blanc in 2010, excluding the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
in September 2010. Valbuena capped his return to the national team by scoring against England
in a friendly at Wembley Stadium
on 17 November 2010.
as "an explosive player who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all due to his dribbling skills." He has been deployed as a wide midfielder
or winger since his arrival to the Bordeaux training center in 2001 often playing on the right side of midfield in former Bordeaux manager Elie Baup's preferred 4–3–3 formation. After leaving Bordeaux, Valbuena was primarily deployed in the playmaker
position as an attacking midfielder at Langon Castets and Libourne Saint-Seurin. While at these clubs, he developed a penchant for attempting to do everything as stated by both his former club coaches Tholot and Jean-Pierre Léglise, the latter being his manager at Langon Castets.
While at the amateur clubs, Valbuena also honed his quickness, technical ability, and developed his tenacious 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 coaching career. Valbuena's former coach also described the player's tenacious style stating "Whatever the build of the opponent, he will always tackle" and "he also surprised me with the level of his defensive work when he is aligned on the right-hand side". Valbuena is also known for his small size and, while at Langon, began using his diminutive stature to his advantage. During his first season at Marseille, he earned the nickname le petit by his former manager Eric Gerets. Gerets described the player as "extremely mobile" and a player who is "very quick at turning, from one side to the other".
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
in Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
. He plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger and is known for his quickness, technical ability, and tenacious style of play. He is described by his former coach at Libourne Saint-Seurin Didier Tholot
Didier Tholot
Didier Tholot is a retired French footballer and current manager of the Ligue 2 club LB Châteauroux.-Coaching career:...
as "an explosive player who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all due to his dribbling skills." Due to his small stature, Valbuena is nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d le petit vélo, which translates to "the small bike". This is a play on Valbuena's size and the fact that Marseille's home ground is called the Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
.
Valbuena began his career at professional club Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
. He was let go from the club after two seasons and subsequently joined amateur club Langon-Castets in the fifth division of French football. In 2004, Valbuena joined Libourne Saint-Seurin in the Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
, the third level of French football. The midfielder had a good 2005–06 season with the club and signed with Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
club Marseille, prior to the 2006–07 season. With Marseille, Valbuena played in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time and, in the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Ligue 1
The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated...
, was part of the team that won the league and league cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, as well as the Trophée des champions
Trophée des champions
The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
.
Valbuena is a French international
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and made his debut with the team in May 2010 in a friendly match against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
. He scored his first international goal in the same match and was named to the team to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
as a result. Valbuena appeared in only one of the three matches France contested at the World Cup. In November 2010, he scored his second career international goal against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
Personal life
Valbuena was born in the southwestern communeCommunes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
of Bruges
Bruges, Gironde
Bruges is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France, just north of Bordeaux.-Population:-References:*...
in the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
department to mother Brigitte and father Carlos. He is of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
origin
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
through his father who is originally from the Spanish city Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
. Valbuena's father works for the city council of Bordeaux
Urban Community of Bordeaux
The Urban Community of Bordeaux , also known by its French initials CUB, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Bordeaux and some of its suburbs....
. Valbuena grew up in nearby Blanquefort
Blanquefort, Gironde
Blanquefort or Blancafòrt is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. Blanquefort is an outlying commune of the Bordeaux metropolitan area....
where his parents still reside. On 24 December 2010, while traveling to Blanquefort to celebrate Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
with his parents, Valbuena was involved in a car accident after losing control of his Lamborghini Murciélago
Lamborghini Murciélago
The Lamborghini Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car...
while driving near Bègles
Bègles
Bègles is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a suburb of the city of Bordeaux and is adjacent to it on the south.-Population:-Personalities:Bègles was the birthplace of:* Sandrine Cantoreggi , violinist...
. The midfielder survived the accident without any injuries.
Early career
Valbuena began his football career at hometown club ES Blanquefort. He developed an interest in the sport of football through his paternal heritage as he often attended matches at the Nou Camp in BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
during school holidays as a youth. At the age of nine, his football career was put on hold after he received over 50 stitches in one of his legs following a swimming accident. After the injury healed, Valbuena returned to football and quickly impressed club coaches. In 1998, he was given a Best Player award at a local youth tournament played at the Camp des Loges
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges is the training centre and club headquarters of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. It is located in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which is in the western suburbs of Paris. Following the foundation of Paris Saint-Germain in 1974, the Camp des Loges began operating...
, the training center of professional club Paris Saint-Germain. In 2001, Valbuena was recruited by professional club FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
.
Valbuena spent two years playing on the club's under-18 team playing alongside the likes of Rio Mavuba and Marouane Chamakh. Valbuena appeared in only three matches with the reserve team before being released from the club after failing to impress Jean-Louis Garcia, the reserve team manager. It has been commonly stated that Valbuena was let go by the club due to his small size, however, former club player and trainer Philippe Lucas
Philippe Lucas (footballer)
Not to be confused with Laure Manaudou former coach, Philippe Lucas.Philippe Lucas is a former French football player.-References:...
explained that Valbuena was let go because he struggled to "transform his game from that of a young player to that of a professional" and that "his game needed to be faster and he needed to avoid confrontations".
Amateur career
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 amateur club Langan-Castets in the Championnat de France amateur 2, the fifth division of French footballFootball in France
Football is the most popular sport in France. The Fédération Française de Football is the national governing bodyand is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game of association football in the country, both professional and amateur...
. Unlike at Bordeaux where he trained numerous times a week, Valbuena only trained three times a week with Langon-Castets and, due to the club's amateur status, worked as a sports shop salesman when he was not playing football. In his only season at the club, he impressed with his technical ability and was subsequently recruited by Championnat National
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
club Libourne Saint-Seurin who had scouted the player eight times while he was at Langon-Castets.
While at Libourne Saint-Seurin, Valbuena's play went through an upgrade. In his first season at the club, he struggled for meaningful minutes under coach André Menot, playing in 20 league matches and scoring two goals. Menot was fired mid-season and was replaced by Didier Tholot
Didier Tholot
Didier Tholot is a retired French footballer and current manager of the Ligue 2 club LB Châteauroux.-Coaching career:...
. The club ultimately finished the season in 13th place in the league. In the next season, manager Tholot took immediate notice of Valbuena. Tholot described Valbuena as "the architect of the team" and sought to build the team around him. As a result, Valbuena's playing time improved dramatically. He played in 31 league matches and scored nine goals, all of which came in victories. Valbuena earned rave reviews for his performances, but still suffered criticism on occasion due to "wanting to do everything" as stated by Tholot. On 12 August 2005, he scored his first goal of the season in a 2–0 win over Moulins
AS Moulins
AS Moulins is a French football club based in Moulins. It was founded in 1927. The colours of the club are white and blue.Moulins play at the Stade Hector Rolland in the Championnat de France amateur.- Current squad :As of January 2011....
. Two weeks later, Valbuena scored a double in a 3–1 victory away to Cherbourg
AS Cherbourg Football
AS Cherbourg or the Association Sportive de Cherbourg Football is a French football club currently playing in the Championnat National, which is the third division in France...
. One low-point during the season came on 9 September 2005 in Libourne's 2–1 defeat to Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Ajaccio
Gazélec Football Club Olympique Ajaccio was founded in 1910. The club is based in Ajaccio, Corsica.- Honours :* French Amateur Champions: 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968.* Corsican Champions: 1937, 1938, 1956, 1957, 1961.-Current squad:...
when Valbuena received his first-ever red card
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
. The loss was the team's first of the season and Valbuena was suspended for three matches. Valbuena returned to the team on 7 October in a 1–0 loss to Bayonne
Aviron Bayonnais FC
Aviron Bayonnais Football Club is a French association football club based in Bayonne. The club is a part of a sports club that was formed in 1904 that is also known for its rugby union club. The football club was founded in 1935 and currently play in the Championnat National, the third level of...
.
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
Nîmes Olympique
Nîmes Olympique is a French association football club based in Nîmes. The club was formed on 10 April 1937 and currently play in Championnat National, the third level of French football. The club's only achievement was winning Ligue 2 in 1950 and the Championnat National in 1997...
. Two weeks later, Valbuena scored against Angers
Angers SCO
Angers Sporting Club de l'Ouest is a French association football club based in Angers. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second division of French football having achieved promotion to the league in 2007. Angers play its home matches at the Stade Jean Bouin located...
in another win and, in the following week, scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Pau
Pau FC
Pau FC is a French football club based in Pau. The team, founded in 1904 as Bleuets Notre-Dame de Pau, are currently competing in the CFA, the fourth tier of French football. They play at the Stade du Hameau. The team plays in a yellow and blue strip....
. As a result of his performances, Valbuena was linked to several clubs in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2, most notably Saint-Étienne and Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
, in December. The midfielder, however, denied the approaches stating his desire to help Libourne achieve promotion to the second division. Valbuena went scoreless through the winter months, but remained a fixture in the starting eleven as the club remained in contention for promotion to Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
. On 29 April 2006, with Libourne in a battle for the final promotion spot, Valbuena scored another double, this time against Toulon
Sporting Toulon Var
Sporting Toulon Var is a football club from Toulon, France, who currently play in the French sixth division . The club, which was founded in 1944, is presided by Jacques Jayet and managed by Luigi Alfano.- History :...
in another shutout victory. Libourne went unbeaten in its final four matches, which resulted in the club finishing in third place, thus achieving promotion to Ligue 2
Ligue 2
Ligue 2 , formerly known as Division 2, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel , the other being Ligue 1, the country's top football division...
for the first time in its history since the local clubs of Libourne
Libourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
and Saint-Seurin agreed to merged together in 1998. For his efforts that season, Valbuena was named the league's Player of the Year, which led to heightened interest from several professional clubs in Ligue 2 and Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
.
Marseille
On 9 June 2006, Valbuena signed his first professional contract after agreeing to a transfer to Olympique de MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. He signed a three-year deal with the club and was assigned the number 28 shirt by manager Eric Gerets. Valbuena made his professional debut for the club on 15 July 2006 in the team's third round match against Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
club Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Football Club Dnipro is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Dnipropetrovsk.-BRIT:The club's franchise traces its history all the way back when the first team that was formed in 1918 by the Petrovsky factory and was called as BRIT . The team participated in the regional competition...
in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. He subsequently struggled to meet the demands of training and suffered an ankle injury in the pre-season period, which resulted in the player missing the start of the 2006–07 season. Valbuena made his league debut on 19 November 2006 in a league match against Valenciennes
Valenciennes FC
Valenciennes Football Club is a French association football club based in Valenciennes. The club was founded in 1913 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Valenciennes plays its home matches at the recently-built Stade du Hainaut located within the city...
appearing as a substitute in the team's 1–0 victory. He appeared as a substitute for the majority of the season and even spent some time playing on the club's reserve team in the fifth division. On 19 May 2007, Valbuena scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Saint-Étienne
AS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
. The game-winning goal allowed the club to maintain control of second place, which merited Marseille a spot in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time since the 2003–04 season.
Following the departure of Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
ahead of the 2007–08 season, Valbuena was inserted as his replacement. It is during this season the midfielder acquired the nickname le petit vélo (the small bike), which is a play on Valbuena's size and his parent club's stadium, the Stade Vélodrome
Stade Vélodrome
The Stade Vélodrome is a football stadium in Marseille, France. It is home to the Olympique de Marseille football club of Ligue 1, and was a venue in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. It is the largest club-football ground in France, with a capacity of 60,031 spectators,...
. Valbuena started the season off healthy under Gerets and featured primarily as a substitute, but by late August 2007, had became a starter forming partnerships in the midfield with Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
, Lorik Cana
Lorik Cana
Lorik Cana is an Albanian footballer, who plays for Lazio as a defensive midfielder and the Albania national football team. He is the captain for Albania at international level...
, and Benoît Cheyrou
Benoït Cheyrou
Benoît Cheyrou is a French football player who currently plays for Olympique de Marseille in Ligue 1. He plays as a central midfielder and often acts as a deep-lying playmaker for the attack. Cheyrou is known for his vision, distribution, and assists...
. Valbuena made his UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
debut on 18 September 2007 against Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
club Beşiktaş
Besiktas J.K.
Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü , or simply Beşiktaş , is a Turkish sports club. The club's football team is one of the major teams in Turkey. The professional sports club, founded in 1903, is based in the Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey...
appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 win. In the team's next group stage match against English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Valbuena scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. The victory over Liverpool was the first time a French club had ever won at Anfield. Later that month, Valbuena signed a contract extension with Marseille, committing himself to the club until June 2012.
In the league, Valbuena appeared in 29 matches and scored three goals. The first two goals came in the club's 6–1 win over Caen on 26 January 2008. The first goal Valbuena scored in the match was voted the Goal of the Year by the Ligue de Football Professionnel
Ligue de Football Professionnel
The Ligue de Football Professionnel , commonly known as the LFP, is a French governing body that runs the major professional football leagues in France. It was founded in 1944 and serves under the authority of the French Football Federation...
and was scored from almost 40 metres (43.7 yd) out. On 9 March, Valbuena, for the second straight season, scored the game-winning goal in a win over Saint-Étienne. Due to his promising performances, Marseille awarded him another contract extension in April 2008, which added an extra year to his contract.
In the 2008–09 season, Valbuena became a regular starter and appeared in 31 league matches. He scored three goals; two in victories over Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
and Le Havre
Le Havre AC
Le Havre Athletic Club Football Association is a French association football club based in Le Havre. The club was founded originally as an athletics and rugby club in 1872, thus making it the oldest association football and rugby club registered in France...
and one in a loss to Paris Saint-Germain. After the season, Gerets, an admirer of Valbuena, was let go and Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...
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. Club president Pape Diouf
Pape Diouf
Mababa "Pape" Diouf is a Senegalese former journalist, best known for being the president of French football club Olympique Marseille between 2005 and 2009.Diouf was born in Abéché, Chad, to Senegalese parents...
and several members of the board disagreed with Deschamps sentiments stating that Valbuena was "un-transferable". The indecision over Valbuena's future resulted in the player being linked to English clubs Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, and Liverpool. Valbuena's future was ultimately settled following the closure of the transfer window when he wasn't sold. As a result, he was relegated to the bench for the first half of the season under Deschamps and the tumultuous relationship reached its zenith in December when the two had a face-to-face meeting, which resulted in Valbuena declaring he wanted to leave the club in the January 2010 transfer window to find regular football.
On 17 October, Valbuena scored his first goal in his first league start of the season away to Nancy
AS Nancy
Association Sportive Nancy-Lorraine is a French association football club based in Nancy. The club was founded in 1967 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Nancy plays its home matches at the Stade Marcel Picot in Tomblaine, a commune located in the Arrondissement of...
. 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
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
. In the Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
, Valbuena scored the game-winning goal in the semi-finals against Lille
Lille OSC
LOSC Lille Métropole is a French association football club based in Lille. The club was founded in 1944 as a result of a merger and currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football. Lille plays its home matches at the Stade Lille-Metropole in nearby Villeneuve-d'Ascq. In 2012, the...
. In the final
2010 Coupe de la Ligue Final
The 2010 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 16th final of France's football league cup competition, the Coupe de la Ligue, a football competition for the 46 teams that the Ligue de Football Professionnel manages. The final took place on 27 March 2010 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis...
, he scored the second goal in a 3–1 victory over his former club Bordeaux. The Coupe de la Ligue
Coupe de la Ligue
The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
title was Marseille's first major honour since winning the UEFA Champions League in 1993
1993 UEFA Champions League Final
The 1993 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match between French club Marseille and Italian club Milan, played on 26 May 1993 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany....
. In April 2010, Valbuena scored goals in three straight matches, all wins, against Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
, Boulogne-sur-Mer
US Boulogne
Union Sportive de Boulogne-sur-Mer Côte d'Opale is a French association football club based in the commune of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The club was founded in 1898 and currently plays in Ligue 2, the second of division of French football, having been relegated from Ligue 1 during the 2009–10 season.The...
, and Saint-Étienne. The victories helped Marseille maintain its first place position and Valbuena was praised by Deschamps. Marseille ultimately won the league after defeating Rennes on 5 May 2010.
In the 2010–11 season
2010–11 in French football
The 2010–11 season is the 78th season of competitive professional football in France. The league season began on 6 August 2010 for the Championnat National and Ligue 2 and on 7 August for Ligue 1 and the Championnat de France amateur. The season concluded on 26 May 2011 for Ligue 2, 27 May for the...
, Valbuena was inserted as a starter by Deschamps for the start of the campaign despite the arrivals of wingers Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy
Loïc Rémy is a French international footballer who plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. Rémy primarily plays in the lead striker role, but also operates on the wings and as a second striker...
and André Ayew
André Ayew
André Morgan Rami Ayew is a Ghanaian football player who currently plays for French club Marseille in Ligue 1. He is often referred to as simply Dédé. Ayew plays as a winger, but can play as a striker...
. Valbuena was also hampered by the constant media inquiries about what happened at the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, on which he has refused to comment, stating "I was a neophyte in the France team, I will not allow myself to discuss the events" and that he was "trying to forget" the incident. Valbuena scored his first goal of the season on 12 September 2010 in a 2–2 draw with Monaco
AS Monaco FC
Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...
. On 23 November, he scored the opening goal in the team's 3–0 win over Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n club FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow
FC Spartak Moscow is a Russian football club from Moscow. Having won 12 Soviet championships and 9 of 19 Russian championships they are one of the country's most successful clubs. They have also won the Soviet Cup 10 times and the Russian Cup 3 times...
in the Champions League. The victory resulted in Marseille qualifying for the knockout portion of the competition for the first time since 2000. Four days later, Valbuena scored the third goal in the team's 4–0 win over Montpellier
Montpellier HSC
Montpellier Hérault Sport Club is a French association football club based in the city of Montpellier. The club was founded in 1919 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Montpellier plays its home matches at the Stade de la Mosson, located within the city...
. On 22 January, Valbuena suffered a medial ligament sprain in his left knee as a result of a tackle from Ayew during a training session. 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
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 22 February.
International career
Due to playing with clubs of small stature early in his career, Valbuena did not receive any call-ups to any of the France national youth football teamFrance national youth football team
The France national youth football team are the national under-20, under-19, under-18, under-17 and under-16 football teams of France and are controlled by the Fédération Française de Football. The youth teams of France participate in tournaments sanctioned by both FIFA and UEFA and also...
s. Due to his impressive performances with Marseille, he was awarded a call up to the senior team
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
by coach Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech
Raymond Domenech is a retired French footballer and the former manager of the France national team.-2006 World Cup:On 12 July 2004, Domenech was a surprise choice to succeed Jacques Santini after the country's disappointing exit from UEFA Euro 2004 by losing in the quarter-final match to the...
for the team's matches against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Mali
Mali national football team
The Mali national football team, nicknamed Les Aigles , is the national team of Mali and is controlled by the Fédération Malienne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
in March 2008. However, he picked up an injury and was forced to miss out.
Valbuena's next call-up was over two years later in May 2010, when he was named to the 30-man preliminary list by Domenech to play in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Valbuena's call up was considered surprising by the media and the player himself, despite Valbuena playing well with his parent club who won the league and league cup double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
in the 2009–10 season. 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 share similarities in playing style and their circumstances at the time of their respective call-ups. Valbuena was later named to the 23-man team to compete in the competition. He made his national team debut on 26 May 2010 in a friendly match against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
appearing as a substitute in the second half. After 16 minutes on the field, Valbuena scored the game-winning goal in the team's 2–1 victory. At the World Cup, Valbuena made his debut in the competition in the team's 2–0 loss to Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
appearing as a substitute on 17 June. It was his only appearance in the competition. During the competition, the players went on strike in protest over the expulsion of striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
from the team, which resulted in all 23 players on the team being suspended for its friendly match in August 2010.
After missing the match against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
due to new manager Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc
Laurent Robert Blanc is a French association football manager and former player. He is the head coach of the French national team, having replaced Raymond Domenech in the wake of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was previously the manager of Bordeaux...
's imposed suspension, Valbuena made his return to the team in a 1–0 defeat to Belarus
Belarus national football team
The Belarus national football team represents Belarus in association football and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belarus, the governing body for football in Belarus. Belarus' home ground is Dinamo Stadium in Minsk...
in UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. The midfielder subsequently appeared in every match under Blanc in 2010, excluding the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team is the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina, governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
in September 2010. Valbuena capped his return to the national team by scoring against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in a friendly at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
on 17 November 2010.
Style of play
Valbuena is described by his former coach at Libourne Saint-Seurin Didier TholotDidier Tholot
Didier Tholot is a retired French footballer and current manager of the Ligue 2 club LB Châteauroux.-Coaching career:...
as "an explosive player who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all due to his dribbling skills." He has been deployed as a wide midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
or winger since his arrival to the Bordeaux training center in 2001 often playing on the right side of midfield in former Bordeaux manager Elie Baup's preferred 4–3–3 formation. After leaving Bordeaux, Valbuena was primarily deployed in the playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
position as an attacking midfielder at Langon Castets and Libourne Saint-Seurin. While at these clubs, he developed a penchant for attempting to do everything as stated by both his former club coaches Tholot and Jean-Pierre Léglise, the latter being his manager at Langon Castets.
While at the amateur clubs, Valbuena also honed his quickness, technical ability, and developed his tenacious 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 coaching career. Valbuena's former coach also described the player's tenacious style stating "Whatever the build of the opponent, he will always tackle" and "he also surprised me with the level of his defensive work when he is aligned on the right-hand side". Valbuena is also known for his small size and, while at Langon, began using his diminutive stature to his advantage. During his first season at Marseille, he earned the nickname le petit by his former manager Eric Gerets. Gerets described the player as "extremely mobile" and a player who is "very quick at turning, from one side to the other".
Club
(Correct as of 18 October 2011)| Club | Season | League | CupIncludes Coupe de France Coupe de France The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation... , Coupe de la Ligue Coupe de la Ligue The Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel... , Trophée des Champions Trophée des champions The Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries... |
Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... Includes UEFA Supercup, FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Club World Cup The FIFA Club World Cup is a football competition between the champion clubs from all six continental confederations.The first FIFA Club World Championship took place in Brazil in January 2000... |
Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Libourne-Saint-Seurin FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin FC Libourne-Saint-Seurin are a French football team from the town of Libourne in Aquitaine. They currently play in the Championnat de France amateur Group C.-History:... |
2004–05 | 24 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 3 |
| 2005–06 | 29 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 13 | 5 | |
| Total | 53 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 14 | 8 | |
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
|||||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2007–08 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | 31 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2009–10 2009–10 Ligue 1 The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... |
31 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Ligue 1 The 2010–11 Ligue 1 season was the 73rd since its establishment. Entering the season, Marseille were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 21 May 2010 and the season began on 7 August and ended on 29 May 2011. The winter break was in effect between 23 December and 15 January 2011... |
32 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 43 | 5 | 5 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Ligue 1 The 2011–12 Ligue 1 season is the 74th since its establishment. Lille are the defending champions. The league schedule was announced on 31 March 2011 and the fixtures were determined on 10 June. The season began on 6 August 2011 and will end on 20 May 2012... |
9 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 5 | |
| Total | 147 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 186 | 22 | 19 | |
| Career total | 200 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 258 | 37 | 27 | |
International
- (Correct as of 6 September 2011)
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France France national football team The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe... |
2009–10 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010–11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 2 | 1 | |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
26 May 2010 | Stade Félix-Bollaert, Lens, France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
|
|
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17 November 2010 | Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007... , London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... |
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Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
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Club
Marseille- Ligue 1Ligue 1Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
(1): 2009–102009–10 Ligue 1The 2009–10 Ligue 1 season was the 72nd since its establishment. Bordeaux were the defending champions. The fixtures were announced on 5 June 2009, and play commenced on 8 August and ended on 15 May 2010. There were three promoted teams from Ligue 2, replacing the three teams that were relegated... - Coupe de la LigueCoupe de la LigueThe Coupe de la Ligue , known outside of France as the French League Cup, is a knockout cup competition in French football organized by the Ligue de Football Professionnel...
(1): 2009–102010 Coupe de la Ligue FinalThe 2010 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 16th final of France's football league cup competition, the Coupe de la Ligue, a football competition for the 46 teams that the Ligue de Football Professionnel manages. The final took place on 27 March 2010 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis...
, 2010–112011 Coupe de la Ligue FinalThe 2011 Coupe de la Ligue Final was the 17th final of France's football league cup competition, the Coupe de la Ligue, a football competition for the 44 teams that the Ligue de Football Professionnel manages. The final took place on 23 April 2011 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and was... - Trophée des championsTrophée des championsThe Trophée des champions , is a French association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of Ligue 1 and the winners of the Coupe de France. It is equivalent to the Super Cups found in many countries...
(1): 20102010 Trophée des ChampionsThe 2010 Trophée des champions was the 15th edition of the French supercup. The match was contested by the winners of Ligue 1 the previous season, Olympique de Marseille, and the winners of the Coupe de France the previous season, Paris Saint-Germain. The match was played, for the second...