Valbuena became known to the general public after one successful action for Marseille. At Anfield in the Champions League match, Mathieu managed, with the most severe pressure, to score a stunningly beautiful ball from long range. Long before the triumph in Foggy Albion, Valbuena began his career at the Bordeaux club. Naturally, no one expected a young guy as part of the Girondins, he had to practice in a small club from Langon-Kastets. The Libourne St. Sorin team became his first professional job, after two successful seasons in the freelance division, Mathieu became interested in Marseille. As part of the “Olympians” Valbuena opened up immediately after the club left Franck Ribery, who moved to Bayern. After Drogba and Ribery, Valbuena has become the third youth idol in recent years.

In Marseille, Valbuena was nicknamed "the little bike". "Small" - for his short stature (165 centimeters), and "bike" - for his explosive speed. After several successful seasons at Marseille, Valbuena lost a few, but in the 2009-2010 championship season for the team, Valbuena was on the field in the middle line almost from beginning to end. In the championship year, Mathieu broke the record for the number of goals (5) scored for Marseille (he had not previously scored more than three goals in the championship). In 2009, Valbuena, in all seriousness, was ready to move to the St. Petersburg “Zenith”, but the deal did not take place at the last moment. Knowledgeable people say that Mathieu was not happy with the policy of Zenit fans, who refuse to see a black player in their team's shirt. Valbuena himself grew up in a multiethnic country and regularly spends time in social actions against racism and nationalism. For the current Marseillais, the issue of racism is a problem that has not been wiped out from the finger. For another reason, the parties did not reach a financial agreement. In any case, Valbuena himself has no regrets about staying at the Velodrome. As part of Marseille, he won the first major award and was called to the World Cup. In his first game for the Forest of Blues, Valbuena brought the team to victory in the match against Costa Rica, scoring with a medium distance. His former mentor Eric Gerets speaks better than others about Mathieu: “He has great talent. Mathieu is a very mobile player, but I see him in the central axis, and not on the flank. he's more of a team guy."

In the 2009/10 season, Valbuena became the champion of France as part of Marseille, and also won the French League Cup for three years in a row. Under Laurent Blanc, Mathieu was consistently called up to the French national team and received a ticket to EURO 2012 ahead of schedule.

Valbuena's professional career began with the game for the most big club Gironde, "Girondins de Bordeaux". After a year of work, Mathieu was expelled - for all the same short growth; from the outside, it strongly resembled the story of Sean Wright-Phillips from the English team Nottingham Forest (Nottingham Forest). After moving to a local club, the Langon-Castets, Valbuena impressed the talent scouts with his game and very soon returned to more high level, in "Libourne Saint-Seurin", just in time for the national championship. In two seasons at Libourne, he improved his skills significantly, playing in fifty-three matches and scoring ten goals. His actions in the 2005-06 season - he scored 9 goals in 29 games - helped the team to qualify for the second league; however, the next season they chose to return back. Nevertheless, Mathieu got what he deserved - this season he was recognized as the "player of the year".

Success at Libourne has made Mathieu a much more sought-after player than before. On June 9, 2006, his cherished dream came true - to move to the first league; one of the largest French teams - "Olympique de Marseille" (Olympique de Marseille) - offered him a three-year contract.

Things didn’t start very well in a new place - Valbuena got it during summer training serious injury and, as a result, was forced to debut a little later than planned. Came out on the field Mathieu in a match against "Valenciennes". In total, he appeared 14 more times during the season - mostly as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Marseille in the eighty-sixth minute of the match against Saint-Etienne (Saint Etienne).

Having restored his health, Valbuena spent the next season an order of magnitude more successful; the departure of Franck Ribery from the team also significantly increased the value of Mathieu. He was let out on the field much more often; Valbuena lived up to this trust, among other things, scoring a goal in the UEFA Champions League match against English club Liverpool in Anfield. It was this goal that brought the team victory; the game ended with the score 1:0.

For excellent work, Mathieu received a contract extension; it was originally assumed that he would last in the team until 2010. The athlete signed a new extension in April 2008, this time until 2013.

Playing at the beginning of his career in low-level clubs, Mathieu did not attract the attention of agents of the French national youth team. His impressive results at Marseille, however, changed the situation - Raymond Domenech himself contacted him, inviting Valbuena to the matches against England and Mali. Unfortunately, the athlete was again injured in training and was forced to miss these games.

Despite quite successful season the following year - in particular, winning the series of games for the championship in the first league and for the League Cup, Valbuena was surprised when he was invited to the team preparing for the 2010 World Cup. Initially, there were 30 people in his group; 23 were eliminated during the preparation process. Among the seven best was Mathieu. He made his debut at the international level in a match with Costa Rica; the goal he scored decided the fate of the match.

At the moment, Valbuena is rightfully considered one of the most promising players as

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Major of the Air Force of the Red Army,

Mathieu Valbuena is a French footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder (sometimes as a winger) for the Turkish club Fenerbahce. In the period from 2010 to 2015 he played in the national team of France.

Known for his speed, technical ability, and tenacity in building attacks. In the game, he is able to beat several players of the opposite team at once, being close to their penalty area. In addition, Mathieu very quickly finds free zones on the football field, as a result of which he can give an important pass to a teammate, or open himself to aggravate the attack. Due to his small stature (167 cm), Mathieu received the nickname from the 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 the Marseille stadium, which is called the Velodrome.

Biography

Mathieu Valbuena was born on September 28, 1984 in Bruges, France. professional career Valbuena started at the Bordeaux club, of which he is a pupil. After two seasons, the midfielder joined the semi-professional club Langon-Caste, which played in the regional division of France (fifth division). Here he stayed for a very short time - 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-Serin club, which played in the fifth and third divisions of France. During the game year, the midfielder showed good results, as a result of which aroused interest from Marseille.

Career at Olympique Marseille

In 2006, Mathieu signed a one-year contract with the Provencals. In his debut season, he played 18 matches for the club and scored one goal. The management of Marseille was satisfied with the newcomer's game, so they immediately offered him a five-year contract. Mathieu Valbuena played for the Blue and Whites for the first time in the UEFA Champions League, became the champion of Ligue 1 in the 2009/10 season, won three French Cups and one French Super Cup. In total, he played 330 official matches for Marseille and became the author of 38 goals. In the same years, the midfielder regularly played in the French national team, in 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 club "Dynamo Moscow"

In the 2014/15 season, the Frenchman received a tempting offer from Dynamo Moscow from the Premier League. As a result with Russian team Mathieu Valbuena signed a contract for a year. As part of Dynamo Moscow, he became the main player, appeared on the field 29 times during the season and scored 6 goals. According to the fans of the Moscow club, Valbuena became best player season. At the end of the season, the club began to experience great financial difficulties and lost the fight for European competition. Against the background 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, in the "aristocrats" T-shirt, he played 56 matches and scored 9 goals.

Mathieu Valbuena in Fenerbahce

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

Mathieu Valbuena: I'm either loved or hated

According to the ex-midfielder of Dynamo Mathieu Valbuena, life is striped - sometimes a black stripe, sometimes a white one. As he admitted in an interview with the weekly France Football, now the black has just come.

“AFTER THE INJURY, THE ATTITUDE TO ME CHANGED”

- Why haven't you been in Fenerbahce's team lately?
- The beginning of the season was very successful for me. But in January, there were small disagreements with the coach (Aykut Kojaman. - Ed.). Therefore, they began to let me out on the field less.

Articles | Valbuena: I came to Turkey not just to beat money and sunbathe in the sun

- What's the disagreement?
- I played, scored, assisted, my statistics were the best in the team. And all of a sudden I lost confidence. At the end of the year I was injured, but Fenerbahce did well without me. I recovered but started playing less. It would be out of order - of course, you can sit on the bench. But I just don't understand why?

- You did not know the reasons?
They will always find something to say. It seems like they fought for me like that, they wanted me to go over, and now you can’t even really talk to them.

- Even so?
- After the injury, the attitude towards me changed. Although they cannot make any claims. As I was a professional, so I remain. Yes, there were conversations with the management but all to no avail. In any case, I continue to work. I love this club, I really want to achieve something here. So far, no one has said that I am not needed.

- According to rumors, in the winter you were supposed to move to China.
- Sometimes you hear so much nonsense! Why on earth did I have to go somewhere, and even at the height of the season! It's not in my rules. Until my plans change, I want to play for Fenerbahce. But don't worry, anything can happen.

By the will of Fenerbahce coach Aykut Kocaman Valbuena (second from left) is increasingly listed on the bench. Photo by Russian Look/Imago

"WHEN I PLAY, NO ONE REMEMBERS MY AGE"

- All the time you have some kind of problem ...
- That's the way it goes in life.

- There is no feeling that after you moved to Turkey, the fans began to forget you?
- Yes, I got too far, but there is the Internet - the fans are watching me. In addition, the beIN Sports channel bought the rights to broadcast the Turkish championship. In France, they really talk about me less now. But I do not attach any importance to this, I do not need this popularity.

Full name: Mathieu Valbuena

Height: 167 cm

Weight: 58 kg

Role: winger (right winger)

Biography of Mathieu Valbuena

Born September 28, 1984 in the French city of Bruges. Mathieu's father is a Spaniard, a native of Valladolid, his mother is Bridgette, a Frenchwoman. 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 nursery sports school"Blanquefort", spent 4 years here. In 1997, he signed a contract with the Bordeaux youth team, then was transferred to the youth squad. In 2003, Mathieu played two matches in the Girondins' reserves and, as it seemed, was about to get into the first team. However coaching staff Bordeaux refused the services of Valbuena, expressing doubt that he would ever be able to grow to a professional level.

After such a blow, Mathieu did not give up football, but went to the Langon-Kastets amateur team. I spent six months here, played in 9 matches and scored 2 goals. In 2004 signed an agreement with professional club"Libourne-Saint-Seren" from the third division of France. 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 Marseille.

"Marseilles"

Over the next eight years, Valbuena will become a key player at 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 gates of Saint-Etienne on May 19, 2007. This ball helped Olympique 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 starting lineup Olimpik, replacing Franck Ribery on the right flank, who went to Bayern. Valbuena was nicknamed "little bike" by Marseillais fans because of his short stature and high speed. On September 18, 2007, the Frenchman made his debut in the Champions League, and already on October 2 he scored the only goal in the confrontation with the current tournament finalist Liverpool (1-0). At the end of the season, Marseille won bronze medals, and Valbuena received a one-season deal extension. 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 led by Didier Deschamps, who tried to sell Valbuena. However, the council members voted against the sale of 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 putting Mathieu on the bench, never starting again until December. However, in the second half of the season, the relationship between the player and the coach improved, and Valbuena became important part Marseille's championship team, having issued a series of four scoring matches from April to May.

In the 2010/11 season, Valbuena managed to bench Loïc Remy and André Aya, remaining the main right winger. He helped Marseille reach the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in 12 years and, despite a medial injury, took part in the round of 16 matches, where Olympic 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 13 assists and scored 5 goals, in the 2012/13 season he gave another 12 assists.

By the 2013/14 season, Valbuena remained the sole leader of Marseille's 2010 championship squad. The midfielder was still claimed by the clubs of English and Russian league, however, Mathieu continued to perform at the Olympic. He helped Marseille return to the French Top 5 with 34 league appearances. Three rounds before the end of the season, he overcame 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 brightly held world championship in Brazil, the leading clubs in Europe again remembered Mathieu. 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 duel against Spartak (1-2). In the next match against Ufa, he gave two assists and was recognized as the best player of the meeting. After two rounds, he again scored 2 assists. In his debut season he played in 25 matches, scored 4 goals and gave 11 assists. Dynamo finished fourth, however, due to UEFA sanctions, they were unable to take part in Eurocups. After that, 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 for 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 Mundial in South Africa. In Africa, he was involved in the second match group stage against Mexico, in which the "tricolors" lost with a score of 0-2.

Participated in 10 matches qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup, including two butt matches 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 of France 2008
• Winner of the French League Cup 2010, 2011, 2012
• Winner of the French Super Cup 2010
• Finalist of the French Cup 2007

Mathieu Valbuena Individual Awards

• Member of the symbolic team of League 1 2008, 2013
• Scorer of the best goal in the championship of France 2008