Back ماثيو فالبوينا Arabic ماثيو فالبوينا ARZ متیو والبوئنا AZB Мацьё Вальбуэна Byelorussian Мат’ё Вальбуэна BE-X-OLD মাতিউ ভালবুয়েনা Bengali/Bangla Mathieu Valbuena Catalan Mathieu Valbuena Czech Mathieu Valbuena Danish Mathieu Valbuena German
 Valbuena with Olympiacos in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mathieu Valbuena[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 28 September 1984[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Bruges, France | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[3] | ||
| Position(s) |
Attacking midfielder Wide midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Apollon Limassol | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–2001 | Blanquefort | ||
| 2001–2003 | Bordeaux | ||
| 2003–2004 | Langon-Castets | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004–2006 | Libourne | 55 | (10) |
| 2006–2014 | Marseille | 242 | (27) |
| 2014–2015 | Dynamo Moscow | 29 | (6) |
| 2015–2017 | Lyon | 56 | (9) |
| 2017–2019 | Fenerbahçe | 51 | (10) |
| 2019–2023 | Olympiacos | 98 | (14) |
| 2023–2024 | Apollon Limassol | 32 | (7) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2010–2015 | France | 52 | (8) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 February 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 October 2015 | |||
Mathieu Valbuena (French pronunciation: [matjø valbwena]; Spanish: [balˈβwena]: born 28 September 1984) is a French professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Cypriot First Division club Apollon Limassol. He occasionally plays as a winger and is known for his pace, technical ability, and tenacious style of play.[4] 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."[5] Due to his small stature, Valbuena is nicknamed le petit vélo, which translates to "the little bike".[6]
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.
- ^ "Mathi̇eu Valbuena". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: List of Players: France" (PDF). FIFA. 12 June 2010. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2019.
- ^ "MATHIEU VALBUENA". Olympique Lyonnais. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
- ^ "A Night of Cold and Coldly Calculated Play". New York Times. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ "Valbuena climbing towards glory". Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 2 June 2010. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ^ "Foot – OM : Valbuena, l'increvable "Petit Vélo"". France Soir (in French). 12 March 2008. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
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