Q and A with David Albelda and News

David Albelda has been in football purgatory for some time now. He looks happy in the photo with Vicente, but it’s been some time since he’s smiled football-wise.

Since ex-gaff Ronald Koeman sprayed his scent around the Mestalla and fired Albelda, Santiago Canizares and Angulo, the three have been in limbo, neither here nor there. (Santi is gone, of course.)

All signs point to Albelda being let go this summer. Yet there hasn’t been much movement one way or the other. His shot at being on the national team evaporated and one can only speculate the hurt and frustration our former captain must be feeling in the face of Spain winning their first major trophy in 44 years.

This interview with David Albelda is a great piece from World Soccer magazine. Here are a few excerpts. For the rest, please clink the link …

World Soccer: Let’s start at the beginning. You’ve won two league titles and a UEFA Cup with Valencia, you’ve been to two European Cup finals with them, and you’re the most successful captain in the club’s history. You were playing week in, week out and yet one day, just like that, the club told you they no longer wanted you.

Albelda: If it had been a sporting decision I wouldn’t have had any problem with it; no player is eternal. But I don’t like the way it was handled. Everything was fine; then one day, suddenly, I’m told to go. I was ostracized — I wasn’t involved in photos or official events and I wasn’t allowed to train with the rest of the first team. Under normal circumstances, training is a step towards playing a match or being part of a squad. But when you know that you are not going to play a match however well you train, you cannot train in the same way, with the same intensity.

There have been weeks when the squad has had a lot of injuries but they’ve called up youth-teamers rather than pick us [keeper Cañizares and forward Angulo were also personae non gratae]. On Fridays, the squad would train at Mestalla Stadium while we worked at Paterna [Valencia's training ground] all on our own — it was a new system designed solely to keep us isolated. Emotionally, it’s been hard.

World Soccer: What did Koeman say to you?

Albelda: He told me that from now on I wasn’t going to be part of his plans, and that was it. Nothing else. I asked him what the reasons were and he said he did not want to discuss it. The decision was taken.

World Soccer: What do you think the reasons were?

Albelda: In sporting terms, I don’t think there was any reason. I was playing until three days before, so that doesn’t make sense. Under normal circumstances, a player drops to the bench, he stops playing or gets the occasional few minutes, no one says anything, and there is a gradual slide — it’s a more natural process. Players have cycles, too. But to be playing one day and then to be told you’ve got no place the next is strange.

That’s one of the reasons why I think it’s not a sporting decision, that there is something behind it. There are many rumors but it’s been months, we’ve even been to court, and still they’ve never been able to explain the decision. Cañizares, Angulo and I have analyzed things and we just can’t avoid the conclusion that there’s something hidden in the background. The club doesn’t want to admit what it is because it knows it’s not a good enough reason to completely ostracize three footballers.

Juicy stuff, eh? He goes on to talk about Soler, Benitez, his relations with Baraja and the rest of the squad and his future. This is required reading. Albelda is up front and honest about his situation. One can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. This is good stuff …

Some news:

- The pre-season starts Monday.

19 players will report to camp.
The rest of the squad will filter in with the four European champions coming on July 28th.

The final list:
Hildebrand, Guaita, Baraja, Albelda, Morientes, Angulo, Vicente, Helguera, Mata, Joaquín, Zigic, Arizmendi, Alexis, Edu, Moretti, Del Horno, Manuel Fernandes, David Navarro y Pablo Hernández.

Of course, many of these guys will not be with the team come the season, notably Zigic, Fernandes and Albelda.

All of these guys were with the team last season except for Guaita, from the youth squad; Pablo Hernández, transferred from Getafe; and the loaned-out Del Horno (Athletic de Bilbao), Manuel Fernandes (Everton) and ‘Iron’ David Navarro (Mallorca).

They’ll report at 9am Monday for their physicals. The board is allowing Sisi and Gavilán to have vacations until the 16th (although I believe Gavilan is off to Getafe?), Miguel, who played with Portugal in the Euros until the 21st and Regueiro, Hugo Viana and Butelle until the 25th.

Again, many of these guys will probably never make it to camp, like Gavilan and Butelle.

Maduro? He’s with the Dutch national team for the Beijing Olympics.

Banega? He’s making movies … I mean, he’s with the Argentine national squad at the same Olympics …

The season’s underway, folks. Excited yet??

- So what’d the deal with Ever Banega? We spent all this money on this wunderkind, he makes a few movies, goes out on the piss a few times and now he’s leaving?

I don’t get it. Word on the street is that he’s an immature young man. Who isn’t at that age?

I’m much older than him and I’m immature as can be!

I think coach Unai Emery and the technical staff would be fools to let this lad go. Give him another chance! Anyone up for starting a website petition to have Banega stay at the club??

- We have a new sporting director. Again.

His name? Xabier Azkargorta.

As many know, ex-Telefonica chief Juan Villalonga is our new CEO. Juanito openly admits that he knows ‘nothing at all’ about football, so he wants an old football hand to put the club’s chaotic structures in order.

Enter Azkargorta, a veteran Basque coach and one of the first Spanish coaches to work abroad. He’s been national manager of China, Chile and Bolivia.

He will be the direct boss of technical secretary Juan Sanchez – who was appointed in April when Ronnie Koeman and his assistants were all axed – and of new coach Unai Emery.

The first task of Azkargorta, Sanchez and Emery will be to reduce a bloated, ill-balanced squad of 34 players, many of whom will be returning to Mestalla next week after being loaned out last season.

Sanchez has made it clear that, before any new players can be signed, around 13 or 14 men will have to be sold or loaned out again.

Uggh … it never ends with this team, does it??

- Rafael Van Der Vaart. Remember this pesetero? Remember last season when he held up the Valencia kit and said it was his dream to play here?

People like Van Der Vaart are why I sometimes dislike modern football. This guy may now go to Real Madrid. Where’s the love for Valencia now? Think he’ll hold up any Valencia kits at the Bernabeu when he pledges allegiance to all things Madrileno? I think not … guess his boyhood dream to play for us will never come true …

When money talks, Rafa listens …

- Got a chance to see old friend Claudio ‘El Piojo’ Lopez play with the Kansas City Wizards of the Major League Soccerball last night as they squared off against my local Red Bull New York.

He didn’t do too bad, although he’s lost quite a bit of pace since his heyday with us. He’s not even a striker anymore, more a left wing. Good to see him in action and reminisce about the Good ‘Ol Days …

You know who I would love to see in action?? Kily Gonzalez. Where is he now?

- On a somewhat related note, I got the chance to see some live football this weekend. Not great football, but live football.

Saw the Montreal Impact of the United Soccer League play the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Impact lost 1-0.

It’s about the equivalent of watching Hercules play Valencia Mestalla. It is what it is. But I tell you, there’s nothing like watching a game live.

The green grass, the families in tow with their kids, the beer, the hot dogs, the sun, the replica shirts and the footie action. It really was a wonderful time. Again, not Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, but well worth the time.

What’s with everyone wearing the same kits, though? Beckham kits, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United were in heavy attendance at the game.

When will I see a Valencia shirt being worn by someone other than myself?

You know, it’s only happened twice here in New York, not counting the times I’ve met Daniel and Jason of course.

Funny story: I was wearing my orange 2004 Valencia kit in Manhattan one day, not long after they won the championship and some young guys saw me and started screaming. They were from Valencia and on holiday in the States. We chatted, they took some pictures and promised to send them to me. I’ve yet to see the pics … if anyone knows them, tell them I’m still waiting!

Category: Team News

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