Carlos Valderrama (footballer)

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Carlos Valderrama
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio
Date of birth	September 2, 1961
Place of birth	Santa Marta, Colombia
Height	175cm (5' 9')
Nickname	El Pibe
Position	Central midfielder

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (born September 2, 1961 in Santa Marta) is a former Colombian soccer player, a creative midfielder considered the best Colombian player of all time.

Nicknamed El Pibe ("The Kid"), Valderrama is recognizable for his enormous dyed blondish-orange bush of hair and is known for his skillful passing and shielding. One of the most formidable powers of Valderrama is his ability to dominate the match playing in walking pace. Valderrama captained Colombia during the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, before announcing his international retirement after the 1998 competition having received 111 caps and scored 11 times. He won the Colombian championship with Atlético Junior in 1993 and 1995. One example of excellent field vision was in the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In the game against Germany, Valderrama passed the ball to Freddy Rincon who was open for a pass. Rincon then scored through the legs of German goalkeeper Bodo Illgner. This goal tied the match at 1-1 and sent Colombia to the second round of the World Cup for the first time in its history and the only team Germany could not beat on their way to the championship.

He began his career at Unión Magdalena of the Colombian First Division in 1981. He also played for Millonarios and Deportivo Cali before joining Montpellier of the French First Division in 1988. He was transferred to Spanish side Real Valladolid in 1990 before returning to Colombia in 1992 to play for Independiente Medellín and Atlético Junior from 1993-96 before going to the US in 1996 to play for the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996-97, 2000-01), Miami Fusion (1998-99), and Colorado Rapids (2001-02). In Major League Soccer, Valderrama scored relatively few goals (16) for a midfielder, but is the league's all-time leader in assists (114). In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI.

In February 2004, Valderrama ended his 22-year career in a tribute match at the Metropolitan stadium of Barranquilla, with some of the most important football players of South America, such as Diego Maradona (he couldn't play), Enzo Francescoli and José Luis Chilavert. Despite ending his career, recent attempts have been made to try and persuade the former South American Footballer of the Year out of retirement and to play at a semi-professional level. Clubs rumoured to have approached him are Deportivo Cali, Once Caldas, Centauros Villavicencio and Leek Town.

He is married and has five children. Valderrama was the only Colombian to feature in FIFA's 125 Top Living Football Players list in March 2004.

[edit] Trivia

• He appeared in the cover of Konami game ISS PRO '98.
• There is a beautiful 22 feet bronze statue of Valderrama besides The Eduardo Santos stadium in Santa Marta, Colombia, made by world known Colombian artist, Master Amilkar Ariza.

[edit] Honours

• South American Footballer of the Year (1987, 1993)
• French Cup winner (1990)
• Colombian Championship winner with Junior Barranquilla (1993, 1995)
• MLS Player of the Year (1996)
• MLS All-time Assist King
• MLS All-star game MVP
• Member of the FIFA Century Club

[edit] See also

• Famous Colombians

Preceded by: Antonio Alzamendi	South American Footballer of the Year 1987	Succeeded by: Rubén Paz
Preceded by: Raí	South American Footballer of the Year 1993	Succeeded by: Cafu

Major League Soccer | MLS All-Time Best XI
Tony Meola | Jeff Agoos | Marcelo Balboa | Eddie Pope | Landon Donovan | Marco Etcheverry Piotr Nowak | Preki | Carlos Valderrama | Brian McBride | Jaime Moreno

	Colombia squad - 1990 World Cup
1 Higuita | 2 Escobar | 3 Gilardo Gómez | 4 Herrera | 5 Villa | 6 Pérez | 7 Estrada | 8 Gabriel Gómez | 9 Guerrero | 10 Valderrama | 11 Redín | 12 Niño | 13 Hoyos | 14 Álvarez | 15 Perea | 16 Iguarán | 17 Cassiani | 18 Cabrera | 19 Rincón | 20 Fajardo | 21 Mendoza | 22 Hernández | Coach: Maturana

	Colombia squad - 1994 World Cup
1 Córdoba | 2 Escobar | 3 Mendoza | 4 Herrera | 5 Gaviria | 6 Gómez | 7 de Ávila | 8 Lozano | 9 Valenciano | 10 Valderrama | 11 Valencia | 12 Mondragón | 13 Ortiz | 14 Álvarez | 15 Perea | 16 Aristizábal | 17 Serna | 18 Cortés | 19 Rincón | 20 Pérez | 21 Asprilla | 22 Pazo | Coach: Maturana

	Colombia squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 O. Córdoba | 2 I. Córdoba | 3 Palacios | 4 Santa | 5 Bermúdez | 6 Serna | 7 de Ávila | 8 Lozano | 9 Valencia | 10 Valderrama | 11 Asprilla | 12 Calero | 13 Cabrera | 14 Bolaño | 15 Aristizábal | 16 Moreno | 17 Estrada | 18 Pérez | 19 Rincón | 20 Ricard | 21 Preciado | 22 Mondragón | Coach: Gómez