Albelda hangs up his boots

Albelda did not accept any of the offers he received this summer and has decided to retire just shy of his 36th birthday. His contract at Valencia ended on 30th June and the club, after consulting with the new coaching staff, decided not to offer him a new deal, even though the Valencia captain played a starring role towards the end of the season.

The Valencia midfielder decided from the start not to listen to any offers from Spanish clubs, although he left the door open to a possible move abroad. Despite this, the offers received from abroad did not match Albelda’s sporting expectations and he was not prepared to uproot his family unless the offer was of real interest.

Spanish football is losing one of its most charismatic players of the last 15 years; with almost 500 competitive appearances, several domestic and international titles and an important contribution to Spain’s national team.