Carlos Valderrama (footballer)

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Carlos Valderrama
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio
Date of birth	September 2, 1961 (1961-09-02) (age 46)
Place of birth	Santa Marta, Colombia
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Central midfielder
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1981-1983 1984 1985-1987 1988-1990 1990-1991 1992 1993-1995 1996-1997 1998 1999-2001 2002-2004	Unión Magdalena Millonarios Deportivo Cali Montpellier Real Valladolid Independiente Medellín Atlético Junior Tampa Bay Mutiny Miami Fusion Tampa Bay Mutiny Colorado Rapids	77 (4) 17 (1) 82 (5) 43 (7) 22 (3) 71 (5) 39 (1)
National team
1983-1998	Colombia	111 (11)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (born September 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, Colombia) is a former Colombian footballer. Known for his outrageously flashy hairstyle, he was a creative midfielder who played 111 games for the Colombia national team between 1983 and 1998, making him the most capped player in the history of Colombian international football.^[1] Many people consider him to be the best Colombian player of all time.^[2]

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. 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.

[edit] Retirement as player

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, Enzo Francescoli and José Luis Chilavert.

[edit] Personal life

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

[edit] Money showoff incident

On November 1, 2007, Valderrama was ejected from a Colombian league match after waving cash in the face of a referee for calling a penalty that helped end his team's hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.^[3]

[edit] Professional 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 leader in assists
• MLS All-star game MVP
• Member of the FIFA Century Club

[edit] Other recognition

Statue honoring 'Carlos "el pibe" Valderrama' in Santa Marta, Colombia

Valderrama appeared on the cover of Nintendo 64 and Konami game International Superstar Soccer '98, as well as in the PlayStation conversion. In the N64 game, the player based on him is the only one whose name is not similar to the real-life counterpart; instead, he is called "El Pibe". He was also in the computer game "Backyard Soccer 2001".

In 2006 a 22-foot tall bronze statue of Valderrama was placed by the Eduardo Santos stadium in his hometown Santa Marta, created by Colombian artist Amilkar Ariza.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Career details at National Football Teams
• International statistics at rsssf
• (Spanish)Link for Valderrama

v • d • e Colombia squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Higuita • 2 Escobar • 3 Gildardo 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

v • d • e Colombia squad - 1994 FIFA 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

v • d • e 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