Where Valbuena plays. Mathieu Valbuena. “I would give myself a rating of “14”

Mathieu Valbuena: Being short is an advantage!

Newcomers to the Premier League rarely surprise in a pleasant way - either the lawns are bad for them, or the adaptation period is delayed. But the little Frenchman from Marseille, Mathieu Valbuena, shocked everyone - he puts on a show in every match. However, in an interview with SSF, the Dynamo midfielder denied that it was easy for him on Russian fields, and recalled how difficult it was to break into big-time football.

"RONALDO IS MY IDOL"

Marseille colleague Marc Ambrosiano asked me to convey greetings and good wishes to his old friend Mathieu, and also to remind him that the transition from Marseille to Dynamo is somewhat symbolic, because back in 1967 the teams played a friendly match at the Vélodrome stadium. and promised to be friends. The Marseille public especially liked Lev Yashin; they even wanted to keep him. It turned out differently - decades later, Dynamo strengthened Mathieu Valbuena.

“It’s nice when they remember me at home,” Mathieu responds kindly and sends a return greeting to the journalist. – After I ended up at Dynamo, I heard more than one story about the club. But I would highlight one of them, or rather a fact: the team has many titles, but the last championship took place almost forty years ago.

- The topic of the championship is easy to pick up: if Dynamo finishes first, then your dream will become closer - to play at the Nou Camp.

- I believe that it will come true. Both the Champions League and the Nou Camp. I have played in almost all famous stadiums in Europe. He played anywhere - in London, Madrid, Milan, Munich - but never in Barcelona. Every year when the Champions League draw took place, I watched the broadcast and asked for Barça. For me this is the point.

- Since childhood?

- Yes. The fact is that my father (Carlos Valbuena, Spanish by birth. - Author's note) often went to Barca's home matches. And he took me with him. The style of the team, the atmosphere at the stadium - I loved it all. Be a spectator so many times - and never a participant! – Mathieu does not hide his annoyance.

– How many teams in Russia are worthy of playing at the Nou Camp?

– Many teams will compete for medals. In this group, at the moment, I would highlight Zenit and Dynamo (the interview took place before the match in St. Petersburg. - Author's note).

– If we are talking about childhood, who was your favorite football player?

– My idol is the Brazilian Ronaldo. What he did was phenomenal. Then Zola, Stoichkov... And everything that I saw at the Nou Camp had a huge influence on me.

“I WOULD GIVE MYSELF A RATING “14”

– But you can’t install technology just by watching geniuses from the sidelines.

– I am grateful to all my coaches. But first of all, thanks to my father for the technology. He has coaching experience, but as a person he is very persistent and strict. He kept an eye on me and demanded that I work extra. We stayed alone on the field, and I perfected different techniques.

- Thanks dad. We never tire of repeating that Mathieu Valbuena is an alien from another planet. Unique technique, rare talent.

- Stop, stop, this is too much. Everything was a lot of work. That daily work can be compared to the rehearsals of a pianist who perfects scales.

– Russian sports publications give you the highest scores. For example, “Soviet Sport” put Valbuena in the top five for each match (excluding the game with Zenit. – Ed.).

– At school we were assessed on a 20-point scale. This makes it clearer to me. Five out of five is very overpriced.

- At fourteen. This is good. It can be better. I feel like I could improve. Somewhere ahead are “very good” and “excellent”.

– By the way, your number at Dynamo is number 14.

- Interesting coincidence. In fact, when I joined the team, I was counting on my favorite 28th, but he turned out to be occupied (by defender Rotenberg - author's note). Divided by two and chose the 14th.

“MESSI IS SMALL TOO”

– In your autobiography, published a couple of years ago, there are heartbreaking scenes. Let's say, parting with the Bordeaux training center due to short stature, men's tears...

– The factor of small growth was, perhaps, the main factor in the expulsion. I was in my senior year, but I lacked physical fitness. At the same time, 15-16-year-old grenadiers and athletes grew up in Bordeaux, and this was appreciated. They didn't believe in me. It was a blow. Perhaps at that moment I really could not be among the best. But in adolescence, everyone is formed differently. What is more important is what kind of athlete will become in the future. Look at the Spanish team, the one that won the World Cup and Euro. Everyone there is small! Can you imagine what they were like at school age? But people turned into professionals and won big trophies. It just takes time to get stronger... Oh, I also forgot to mention Messi. Small, but how many Golden Balls he has!

– What did you do when you found yourself outside the doors of the Bordeaux office?

– I was 18 years old. And I didn’t get a chance in the first team. I understood that I had to go to another championship, another league, to prove it at a lower level. And he went there (we are talking about “Langone” from the fifth division. - Author’s note). But at that time I managed to set myself up for the best. Worked more. Believed in myself. I think I have proven something with my example. And failure even helped. Being short in modern football becomes more of an advantage if you work hard on your technique and think with your head. Football needs creativity.

– Stereotypes regarding growth also exist in Russia. It’s no secret that our “little ones” are weeded out much earlier than adolescence. What advice could you give to our children’s coaches and “kids”?

– It’s difficult for me to give advice to coaches. Is it possible to urge them not to be categorical, not to evaluate players only by height. The answers to all questions are in professional football. I have already said about the Spaniards and Messi - these are striking examples. And I would advise the guys, first of all, to believe in themselves. I understand that a young football player can evaluate himself meticulously and worry. It is unacceptable for complexes to develop. On the contrary, short players have many advantages!

– I was told how everyone and everything was mocking the sports director of Marseille, Jose Anigo, when he brought you to the club. They called him crazy.

– It was in 2006, Marseille was gaining strength. My transfer did not convince those who closely follow the transfer market news. Yes, there were negative responses. But even though I came from an unknown club, I worked mercilessly. He deserved that invitation.

– How did the nickname “Petit velo” – Little Bicycle – come about and did it bother you?

- Not at all! Mbami gave me this nickname at Marseille. So he noted me for my diligence on the field. Usually nicknames are not used in communication; I am always addressed by my first name.

“DESCHAMPS PRAISE DYNAMO”

– Several years ago, Zenit seriously considered your candidacy. Today you could train in St. Petersburg and celebrate the virtues of Samba, Vanker, Kuranya...

“You listed my new friends,” Mathieu chuckles. – It’s true about Zenit’s interest. And from Spartak, by the way, too. At that time, Russian clubs received a polite refusal, because leaving France was not part of my plans. He was too young to move. He aspired to join the French national team. I felt how we were growing with Marseille and that I was getting closer to my dream - to gain a foothold in the national team. I was warned against a hasty transition, and I myself didn’t want to radically change anything in my life. It’s a different matter when a wealth of experience is gained and when the trust of the national team coach is won.

– At the beginning of September you visited the French national team. There must have been a lot of questions.

- This is true. Have I found housing, do you like the weather in Moscow?..

– And what did you answer to this?

- That everything is wonderful. I found housing. I am walking with my wife in the center of Moscow. We will visit one place, then another. We visit different stores... In fact, due to the team’s busy schedule, I didn’t go for walks very often. The attitude towards me in the national team became more attentive. Probably, the remoteness of Russia has an effect. We missed each other. I have many friends on the team (the closest one is Patrice Evra. – Author’s note). They are especially glad to see me; They say that they follow and rejoice at Dynamo’s successes.

– What was Didier Deschamps interested in?

“The coach and I had a conversation. I did most of the talking. I shared my impressions of the Russian Championship. He praised me, of course. Deschamps also praised. He noted Dynamo’s good results, as well as my attitude.

– My friend, by the way, like you, a graduate of the Bordeaux club academy, refused to come to visit for the New Year. He says it’s scary to travel with his family “because of the war.” What are the French afraid of in Moscow?

– Personally, I don’t see any problems related to security. Everything is fine in Moscow and other cities I visited. But we need to understand people in Europe. They watch TV, read news about large-scale events in Ukraine. And many people are worried about these messages.

– How do you feel about the fact that Gerard Depardieu received a Russian passport?

– In France, this event was widely discussed. But this is Depardieu’s personal matter, his life.

“I MAY DISAGREE WITH THE COACH”

– You described your communication with Deschamps in warm tones. Can you argue with him as a “classic ten”? Or with Cherchesov?

– In recent years, I have been working in full agreement with all the coaches. I’m used to judging our joint work by the final result. As for Dynamo, I would call the nature of the training process very intense. This is somewhat reminiscent of Marseille from the time of Gerets.

– So you can tell the coach: “I don’t agree”?

- Yes, sure. Because in my position, I also evaluate the game and am used to the fact that my opinion is taken into account. But the tone is not categorical. It seems to me that discussion in a team is sometimes simply necessary.

– In a recent interview, Stanislav Cherchesov recalled how much trouble you, the then coach of Spartak, caused him in the 2008 matches. Do you remember those meetings?

- Of course I remember. But if we played great in Marseille (win 3:0 - editor's note), then in the return match it was uncomfortable. It was not me who caused the trouble, but Spartak (the red-and-whites won 2:0. – Ed.). After a while I learned that Russian clubs were interested in me.

– Weren’t you surprised that in Russia it’s customary to train more and also go to the base?

– In “Marseille” there are approximately the same loads, the same events. Here it is necessary to mention the schedule for players of European national teams. That's who has the most difficult schedule! Either in Marseille, or in Dynamo or another club.

Return to Pride. Emelianenko will fight with Jackson Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will fight against American Quinton Jackson on December 28 in Japan as part of the Bellator tournament. 12/28/2019 17:00 MMA Usachev Vladislav

Full name: Mathieu Valbuena

Height: 167 cm

Weight: 58 kg

Role: winger (right winger)

Biography of Mathieu Valbuena

Born on September 28, 1984 in the French city of Bruges. Mathieu's father is Spanish, a native of Valladolid, his mother is Brigitte, French. Valbuena spent his childhood in France, but regularly attended Barcelona home matches with his father.

Club career of Mathieu Valbuena

At the age of 5 he entered the Blankefort children's sports school and spent 4 years here. In 1997, he signed a contract with the Bordeaux youth team, then was transferred to the youth team. In 2003, Mathieu played two matches in the reserves of the Girondins and, as it seemed, was about to get into the first team. However, the Bordeaux coaching staff refused the services of Valbuena, expressing doubt that he would ever be able to reach the professional level.

After such a blow, Mathieu did not give up football, but went to the amateur team Langon-Castets. Spent six months here, played in 9 matches and scored 2 goals. In 2004 he signed an agreement with the professional club Libourne-Saint-Seren from the French third division. In the 2005/06 season, he helped the team reach the Second League for the first time in its history, after which he signed a three-year agreement with Olympique de Marseille.

"Marseilles"

Over the next eight years, Valbuena would become a key player for Marseille, making 235 appearances in all competitions, scoring 38 goals and providing 50 assists. He made his debut in Marseille on November 19, 2006 in the match of the 14th round of Ligue 1 against Valenciennes. He scored his first goal only at the end of the season, hitting the Saint-Etienne goal on May 19, 2007. This goal helped Olympic win that meeting with a score of 2-1 and maintain second place in the standings.

In the 2007/08 season, he established himself in the starting lineup of Olympic, replacing Franck Ribery, who went to Bayern, on the right flank of the attack. Marseille fans nicknamed Valbuena "the little bicycle" due to his short stature and high speed. On September 18, 2007, the Frenchman made his debut in the Champions League, and on October 2 he scored the only goal in a confrontation with the current finalist of the tournament, Liverpool (1-0). At the end of the season, Marseille won bronze medals, and Valbuena received an extension of the agreement for one season. The Frenchman's goal in the confrontation with Caen was recognized as the best of the season.

On the eve of the 2009/10 season, Marseille was headed by Didier Deschamps, who tried to sell Valbuena. However, council members voted against selling the player. Despite the intense interest in the player from Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Zenit and Spartak, he remained in the team. Deschamps responded by benching Mathieu, never making a single start until December. However, in the second half of the season, the relationship between player and coach improved, and Valbuena became an important part of Marseille's championship squad, producing a series of four productive matches from April to May.

In the 2010/11 season, Valbuena managed to bench Loic Remy and Andre Ayew, remaining the main right winger. He helped Marseille reach the Champions League playoffs for the first time in 12 years and, despite a medial process injury, took part in the 1/8 finals, where Olympique lost to Manchester United. In subsequent seasons, Mathieu began to play the role of the team's main assistant. In the 2011/12 season, the player gave out 13 assists and scored 5 goals, and in the 2012/13 season he gave another 12 assists.

By the 2013/14 season, Valbuena remained the sole leader of Marseille's 2010 champion squad. Clubs in the English and Russian leagues still applied for the midfielder, but Mathieu continued to play for Olympic. He helped Marseille return to the French Top 5, playing in 34 league matches. Three rounds before the end of the season, he surpassed the mark of 250 matches for Marseille in the national championship. After it became known that Valbuena would leave the club, the fans decided to assign number 28 to him.

"Dynamo Moscow"

After a brilliant world championship in Brazil, the leading clubs in Europe remembered Mathieu again. However, the 30-year-old midfielder did not go to Liverpool or Manchester United, choosing Dynamo Moscow to continue his career. The Frenchman signed a four-year contract with the Moscow team with a salary of 3 million euros per season.

On August 10, 2014, Valbuena made his debut for Dynamo, coming on as a substitute in a match against Spartak (1-2). In the next match against Ufa, he gave two assists and was recognized as the best player of the meeting. Two rounds later he again scored 2 assists. In his debut season, he played in 25 matches, scored 4 goals and provided 11 assists. Dynamo took fourth place, but due to UEFA sanctions it was unable to take part in the Eurocups. After this, Valbuena decided to return to the French Championship, where he signed a contract with Lyon

Valbuena's international career

On May 26, 2010, he made his debut in the main squad of the French national team in a friendly match against Costa Rica. In this meeting he came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal (2-1), convincing the coaching staff to take him to the World Cup in South Africa. In Africa, he was involved in the second match of the group stage against Mexico, in which the “tricolors” lost with a score of 0-2.

He took part in 10 matches of the qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup, including two play-offs against Ukraine. He went with the team to Brazil, where he took part in four meetings, scored a goal and gave 2 assists.

Achievements of Mathieu Valbuena

"Marseilles"

• French Champion 2010
• Vice-champion of France 2007, 2009
• Bronze medalist in France 2008
• Winner of the French League Cup 2010, 2011, 2012
• Winner of the French Super Cup 2010
• French Cup finalist 2007

Individual Awards Mathieu Valbuena

• Member of the symbolic team of League 1 2008, 2013
• Scorer of the best goal in the 2008 French Championship

Mathieu Valbuena: I'll shake Benzema's hand when we meet

- Since this season you have been playing for Fenerbahce. How would you rate your performance in the Turkish championship?
- The statistics speak for themselves - I scored 6 goals and made 15 assists in all tournaments. Although in the second round he began to receive less playing time.

-Are you thinking about changing the club?
- No, I don't think about it. I was lucky to play at a big club. And I admire the local fans. They are head over heels in love with football. I saw something similar in Marseille. But in Turkey the whole country loves football. When I arrived in Istanbul to sign the contract, a crowd of thousands greeted me at the airport. Here the fans put a lot of pressure on the team. If we finish the season in second place, it will be a failure.

In the last round of the French championship, two of your former clubs met - Marseille and Lyon. Who were you rooting for?
- “Marseille” is my life. In this team I grew as a football player, made a name for myself and spent the best years of my career. Even when I played in Lyon, I kept repeating that Marseille was the team of my heart.

- And this after Marseille fans gave you a “warm welcome” in September 2015?
- If someone decided to boo me, fine, but no one can erase the history of the club. I know that I have done a lot for Marseille. I have never deceived anyone. Some people were disappointed by the fact that I moved to Lyon, but I can’t do anything about it.

- You are one of the most controversial characters in French football. How do you explain this?
- Throughout my career, I have been accustomed to struggling with circumstances. But I never gave up. I kept moving forward. There is no person who is loved by everyone around. I would say that many people have short memories.

- You also had problems in Lyon...
- My first season at Lyon was the most difficult in my career. Although at first everything was not so bad. Problems arose when they started blackmailing me (the story from Benzema - editor's note).

- But last season you played great. What helped you get back into shape?
- Many doubted my abilities, but not me. The president of the club, Jean-Michel Olas, supported me. And I am an emotional person, this had a positive impact on me. In the summer of 2016, I told those close to me that I would prove to everyone that I was still able to play at a high level and that I knew what I needed to do to continue to progress and improve. I believed and still believe that the reason for failures should be looked for in yourself, and not in a coach or someone else.

- Have you come to terms with the fact that you will not go to the World Cup as part of the French national team?
- Certainly. You need to look at things realistically. As you get older you understand this more and more. I go over my career in my head, remembering what I have accomplished. Playing for the national team is something I'm proud of. This is the pinnacle of any football player's career.

- How do you feel about the new generation?
- It’s good that there are many young talents ready to solve serious problems.

- Can the French team win the World Cup in Russia?
- I will root for the national team, watching matches on TV. As for its potential, it can make it to the decisive stages, but to be honest, Germany, Brazil or Spain have a better chance of winning.

- How do you like Kylian Mbappe’s game?
- Back in December 2016, no one knew him. He became a real discovery of the last European season. But the category of top football players includes those who have been proving their worth at the highest level for many years. What Kilian is doing at his age is, of course, amazing, but you shouldn’t expect miracles from him. He has enormous talent, but he hasn't proven anything yet. Give him time.

- And the last question: if you meet Karim Benzema on the field, will you shake his hand?
- Yes, no problem, I'll shake his hand.

source: “Soviet Sport”

Return to Pride. Emelianenko will fight with Jackson Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko will fight against American Quinton Jackson on December 28 in Japan as part of the Bellator tournament. 12/28/2019 17:00 MMA Usachev Vladislav

Medvedev is the best in victories. Season 2019 in facts and figures In anticipation of the new season, “Soviet Sport” takes stock of the past. We have collected the main figures and facts of 2019. 04.12.2019 10:30 Tennis Nikolay Mysin

Bravo, Ilya! Nichushkin did it, but why is Kovalchuk worse? We are rooting for Montreal. The MVP of the 2018 Olympics and the 2009 World Championship has finally decided on his future in the NHL. 04.01.2020 13:45 Hockey Slavin Vitaly

Germany is defeated. Russia is in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. On the eve of the New Year, the Russian youth team played a decisive match in the group against the Germans at the World Cup. 12/31/2019 19:30 Hockey Trofimenko Kirill

Magomed Ismailov: Alexander Emelianenko is now stronger than Fedor Russian fighter Magomed Ismailov spoke about the upcoming fight with Alexander Emelianenko. 12/29/2019 02:45 MMA Usachev Vladislav

Mathieu Valbuena is a French footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder (sometimes as a winger) for the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. From 2010 to 2015 he played for the French national team.

Known for his speed, technical ability and tenacity in building attacks. In the game, he is able to beat several players of the opposing team at once, being close to their penalty zone. In addition, Mathieu very quickly finds free areas on the football field, as a result of which he can pass an important pass to a teammate, or open himself up to escalate the attack. Due to his small height (167 cm), Mathieu received the nickname from fans le petit vélo, which translates from French as “little bicycle”. It is also due to the fact that Valbuena spent most of his career at Marseille's stadium, which is called the Velodrome.

Biography

Mathieu Valbuena was born on September 28, 1984 in Bruges, France. Valbuena began his professional career at the Bordeaux club, where he is a student. After two seasons, the midfielder joined semi-professional club Langon-Caste, which played in the French regional division (fifth division). Here he stayed only briefly - he spent only one season, in which he took part in 9 matches and scored two goals.

In the 2004/05 season, Mathieu Valbuena joined the Libourne-Saint-Serain club, which played in the fifth and third divisions of France. During the playing year, the midfielder showed good results, as a result of which he aroused interest from Marseille.

Career at Olympique Marseille

In 2006, Mathieu signed a contract with the Provencals, which was for one year. In his debut season, he played 18 matches for the club and scored one goal. The Marseille management was satisfied with the newcomer's performance, so they immediately offered him a five-year contract. With the Blue and White team, Mathieu Valbuena played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time, became Ligue 1 champion in the 2009/10 season, won three French Cups and one French Super Cup. In total, he played 330 official matches for Marseille and scored 38 goals. During these same years, the midfielder regularly played in the French national team, with which he took part in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Euro 2012 in Ukraine and Poland, and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He played 52 official matches for the national team and scored 8 goals.

Transfer to the Dynamo Moscow club

In the 2014/15 season, the Frenchman received a tempting offer from Dynamo Moscow of the RFPL. As a result, Mathieu Valbuena signed a one-year contract with the Russian team. As part of Dynamo Moscow, he became the main player, during the season he appeared on the field 29 times and scored 6 goals. According to fans of the Moscow club, Valbuena became the best player of the season. At the end of the season, the club began to experience great financial difficulties and lost the fight for European competition. Against the backdrop of these troubles, Mathieu Valbuena began to look for a job at another club.

In August 2015, the midfielder signed a contract with Lyon for 11 million euros. Subsequently spent two seasons here. In total, he played 56 matches in the “aristocrats” shirt and scored 9 goals.

Mathieu Valbuena at Fenerbahce

In mid-June 2017, the Frenchman signed a contract with the Turkish club Fenerbahce. The player's transfer price has decreased significantly compared to previous transfers - only 1.5 million euros. Currently, Valbuena is a key player in the attacking line for the Yellow Canaries.