Carlos Valderrama (footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio | ||
| Date of birth | September 2, 1961 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Marta, Colombia | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1981–1983 | Unión Magdalena | ||
| 1984 | Millonarios | ||
| 1985–1987 | Deportivo Cali | ||
| 1988–1990 | Montpellier | 77 | (5) |
| 1990–1991 | Real Valladolid | 17 | (1) |
| 1992 | Independiente Medellín | ||
| 1993–1995 | Atlético Junior | 82 | (4) |
| 1996–1997 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 43 | (1) |
| 1998 | Miami Fusion | 22 | (3) |
| 1999–2001 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 71 | (5) |
| 2001–2002 | Colorado Rapids | 39 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1985–1998 | Colombia | 111 | (11) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (born September 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, Colombia), also known as El Pibe ("The Kid") is a Colombian former football player. His mass of blond, permed hair made him one of Colombia's most recognisable footballers. Valderrama was a member of the Colombia national football team in the 1990s. Between 1985 and 1998 he represented Colombia in 111 full internationals and scored 11 times, making him the most capped player in the country's history. He was the most famous football player in Colombia in the team of Rene Higuita, Faustino Asprilla, Freddy Rincon, Adolfo Valencia, Leonel Alvarez, Oscar Cordoba, Andrés Escobar and others.
Career
Early career: Union Magdalena and Millonarios
Valderrama began his career at Unión Magdalena of the Colombian First Division in 1981. At Union Magdalena his potential was clear to the manager, and despite the fact that Valderrama walked out on the team on more than one occasion due to various differences he had with the coach; the manager wanted to keep him and help him become a world class footballer.
After three seasons with Union Magdalena, Valderrama showed glimpses of his unique skills, though at the same time, he was an inconsistent performer. Therefore, after three seasons with Union Magdalena, the head coach did not see any improvement and decided to sell him to Millonarios, one of the big clubs in Colombia, they were confident about shaping Valderrama into a consistent world class performer.
He signed for Millonarios in 1984 but unfortunately that was his first and last season with Millonarios; after a promising start to the season, his form started to decline for the second half of the season; according to the Millonarios staff, Valderrama was not as good as they expected, and they decided to sell him to Deportivo Cali in 1985.
Deportivo Cali: La Llave Redin-Valderrama
It was at Deportivo Cali that Valderrama made his name, after a disappointing start to his Deportivo Cali career, with the management running out of patience and the pressure mounting after each disappointing display; one day, there was a change, Valderrama gave his first world class performance in the Deportivo Cali shirt, and then came his second world class performance with the green shirt; and then came ten world class displays and suddenly, everyone in Colombia started talking about him because he represented a lot of hope for the Colombian National Team. His first year with Deportivo Cali represents the birth of his name, before 1985 he was just a little known promise, after 1985 Valderrama was a well known name throughout Colombia.
In the year 1986 he only grew in stature, as he developed a great understanding with teammate Bernardo Redin, the duo Valderrama-Redin created their own brand of football, a very distinctive and vibrant brand of football that often gave the impression that Valderrama was dictating the play as if by an invisible string; spraying short and long passes through the ground all over the pitch, short passing one-two plays that started from the back and stretched all the way into the last third of the pitch, it was a sensation in Colombian Football and marked an era: the fact that Carlos Valderrama and Bernardo Redin were both Colombian only helped them grow in stature as the year went by.
In year 1986, as the year went on and he gained more and more confidence in his ability, he developed and perfected his technique: now recognized as a superb dribbler who could retain possession even when surrounded by two or three opponents, he also developed a habit of nutmeging anyone who wasn't careful.
The year went by, and the sensational form of the duo was not enough to win the title as Deportivo Cali ended up as runner-up; however, Carlos Valderrama was widely acknowledged as the best player in the country by both fans and rivals, and Deportivo Cali was widely acknowledged as the team that played the most attractive football by both fans and rivals; not the silverware that you would expect after such a successful season, but a great distinction nonetheless.
Subsequently, Valderrama earned himself his first call to defend his national side, it was a win or go home play-off against Paraguay, the winner would qualify to the 1986 World Cup, the loser would be eliminated. In the first leg, Valderrama played the last ten minutes, as he entered the pitch, Colombia was losing by a 3-0 margin, the game ended 3-0 in favor of Paraguay; though in the ten minutes that he played he did enough to make it a talking point amongst Colombians. In the return leg, Valderrama played from the start, Colombia won the game by a 2-1 margin, but it was not enough for Colombia.
1987 Copa America
Soon after the 1986 World Cup, came the 1987 Copa America. The sensational form of the duo known as La Llave Redin-Valderrama was enough to earn both players a call to represent Colombia at the 1987 Copa America Tournament. At the 1987 Copa America Tournament, played in Argentina, Colombia displayed the same distinctive brand of short passing football that the duo Valderrama-Redin had invented a year earlier, but this time it was on a grander scale; suddenly, Colombia was being recognized as a team that played attractive and distinctive football.
A comfortable and flashy 2-0 win against Bolivia, in which Valderrama gave the assist for the first goal via a very long pass through the ground, and a game in which Valderrama scored the second goal, a collectors item, one of the very few goals for his country; however, more important than the assist or the goal, was the type of football he produced and encouraged, rather than focusing on results, his mantra revolved around giving a spectacle as opposed to playing boring but effective football.
In the second game, Colombia reaffirmed their stance with another comfortable and entertaining display against Paraguay, this time winning the game by a 3-0 margin; Valderrama provided two assists for the first two goals, and suddenly, everyone was talking about this Colombian team which revolved around the player with the blond afro and crooked legs, an individual whom appeared to move slowly with the ball and yet could move the ball from side to side so quickly and effortlessly.
After the 2-0 win against Bolivia and the 3-0 win against Paraguay, this was already considered a success in Colombia, because nothing out of the ordinary was expected, and based on expectations and statistics, people were expecting an early exit yet again. After the unexpected success, the semi-finals read: Colombia vs Chile, and Argentina vs Uruguay.
Both Colombia and Chile surprised everyone and had become favorites to win the tournament, Colombia with the comfortable wins against Bolivia and Paraguay, and Chile after defeating Brazil by a 4-0 margin; mind you that this was a highly rated Brazilian side which had players such as Romario, Careca, and Rai. The semi-final clash between Colombia vs Chile was highly anticipated, as both teams were playing the best football by far, and therefore it was hard to predict what would happen.
On the day, Colombia did not play at their best as a team. Valderrama and Redin made the team's best plays, but the duo lacked consistency throughout the game. Bernardo Redin drifted in and out of the game and it was Valderrama who started carrying the team as the game went on. After 90 minutes the game was a goalless draw, and extra time was required. In extra time Valderrama appeared once again, a spot kick and the Colombian midfielder asked for the ball, he received the pass and started the play slowly from a deep midfield area, at walking pace he played a quick one-two and subsequently dribbled past a player, and soon after he passed the ball forwards to Redin who was positioned near the edge of the penalty area; Redin was fouled inside of the penalty box, and it was a penalty given.
Colombia went ahead in extra time thanks to the mentioned penalty kick and it looked like the game was over with just a few minutes left; however, this was not the case, as charismatic goalkeeper Renee Higuita gifted Chile with an easy goal after misjudging a corner kick, and after drawing the game at 1-1 Chile scored a quick second with only two minutes left on the clock; Chile came from behind to win the game by a 2-1 margin, Colombia would play for third place against Maradona´s Argentina.
Their 2-1 defeat against Chile was characteristic of Colombia and their lack of experience at this stage; instead of closing shop after going 1-0 in front, they continued attacking and due to an unfortunate and uncharacteristic mistake by the goalkeeper, they ended up losing the match in the last two minutes of play. Individually, this was yet another world class display by Carlos Valderrama, who was by far the player of the match.
Colombia would go on to play against world champions Argentina, Argentina represented the first real challenge for this Colombian side, Colombia had never won a game against South American giants Argentina, and therefore the stats suggested that Argentina should win the game; even more so with world class players like Diego Maradona and Claudio Caniggia.
The stadium El Monumental (River Plate Stadium) was the stage, an audience of approximately 40.000 pundits watched how Colombia, guided by Valderrama, defeated the world champions Argentina; Valderrama gave two assists in a match that Colombia won by a 2-1 margin. After the match, an Argentine journalist wrote: In the Monumental Stadium there was magic. Football painted by a yellow shirt and a big mop of blond hair. Skinny, socks dropped to his ankles, somewhat crooked, loosed arms, strange appearance, brilliant with the ball at his feet, splendid his footballing display. Carlos Valderrama, knows what a number 10 should know and writes the story of a first half full of toque, heel passes, feints and passes, with all the precision in the world.
As it happened in 1986 with Deportivo Cali, the Valderrama inspired team was widely recognized as the most attractive team of the tournament, playing an original brand of short passing football in which every one had a touch on the ball and everything revolved around their sudden and unexpected and inexperienced talisman; though again, this great success was not enough to win the silverware. Colombia finished 3rd, outplaying everyone they played against and defeating the very same Diego Maradona inspired Argentina that won the 1986 World Cup: Valderrama was recognized as the best player of the 1987 Copa America Tournament, which added to his club form, was enough to earn him the South American Footballer of the Year distinction.
It is also worth mentioning, that teammate Arnoldo Iguaran finished as top scorer of the tournament, with four goals to his name; three of them assisted by Valderrama. In four games played, Valderrama managed to give five assists and scored one goal, which added to the overall display, earned him the aforementioned distinction.
1988 Rous Cup
Later, after world wide recognition as a new figure in world football, Colombia started a small tour around the world that would end in Europe, where Colombia was invited to take part in the 1988 Rous Cup competition. In May 24 of 1988, Colombia tested their strength against a European heavyweight, playing England at the Old Wembley Stadium.
After the 1987 Copa America, Colombian coach Francisco Pacho Maturana had used that unexpected success to his advantage, using the figure of South American Footballer of the Year Carlos Valderrama as an attraction; though, to this point, Valderrama and this generation of Colombian footballers had never played against a European heavyweight... Therefore, for Colombia this was more than just a mere representative game, it represented a great deal of importance.
So the day came and expectations were realistic, most people expecting a comfortable victory for England; however, once the match started a lot of people were deeply impressed by Colombia's performance, and particularly, by Valderrama; who was dictating the tempo with his attractive short passing brand of football and whenever he had the ball, he demonstrated his class with all his little dribbles in very small spaces, it was unusual for European crowds to see someone playing at almost walking pace. Despite the early impression, England went ahead in the first half, however, Colombia drew the game in the second half, and the game ended an exciting 1-1 draw.
After the success at the 1987 Copa America, and the recognition as the South American Player of Year in 1987, when Colombia played England at the Old Wembley: this is undoubtedly, one of the most enduring images of Carlos Valderrama playing at his best. Jorge Valdano had this to say about his performance: I remember the one of Colombia against England at Wembley, where the least English player in the world, which was Valderrama, made himself the owner of the match with his short passing football, permanently dictating the rhythm with his enormous personality.
Montpellier HSC
Soon after the game at Wembley, Montpellier HSC came calling: We had heard there was a great midfielder playing in Colombia so we went down to take a look for ourselves, explains Louis Nicollin, president of Montpellier Hérault Sporting Club.
At the time, Montpellier were considered to have made a steal. Valderrama played a blinder against England at Wembley and became the toast of the footballing world. Nicollin tells the story: We went to see him play for Colombia at Wembley in May 1988. We agreed terms with his club and Valderrama signed on right away. He played like a dream in London and the following day all the English papers ran stories entitled ‘Lucky Montpellier’.
With his afro-blond hairstyle, flashy jewelery and drooping mustache, Carlos Valderrama certainly did not go unnoticed when he arrived in Montpellier in 1988. The Colombian midfield magician had been on the shopping list at the modest French club for some time. It was here that he would begin his short-lived European career, and despite a tough start in his first season, El Pibe is remembered in the south of France with unabated affection. Here we take a look back at his three years on the Mediterranean coast.
The performance of Valderrama against England prompted comparisons with Ruud Gullit, perhaps mostly due to the distinctive hairstyle and mustache; however, in truth, Carlos Valderrama and Ruud Gullit were very different type of players, both very elegant and classy with the ball, but unlike Gullit; the Colombian number 10 was not strong in the air, was not a complete midfielder by any means, and was below average in terms of goal scoring ability.
Considering that Colombian players were in large part non-existent as far as Europe was concerned; the great performance at Wembley added to the distinctive playing style and growing reputation of Valderrama, which resulted in people expecting so much from the Colombian midfielder.
Valderrama did not take to French football straight away. He was unfit when he arrived, burnt out Nicollin says, so our coach left him on the bench and stuck with more familiar faces. And as Carlos isn’t a born leader he didn’t get too upset about it.
Laurent Blanc, who played alongside Carlos in his first season at Montpellier, remembers the difficulties this fabulously talented performer encountered while adapting to European football: The game in Europe is very different to the game in South America. Down there it’s all about passing. Here it’s more physical and there’s less space. It wasn’t easy for Carlos.
In fact Valderrama practically sat out the first season on the bench and bided his time. His chance came with the arrival of Polish coach Henryk Kasperczack in 1989. And his talent impressed even the most cynical observers. I really liked how he played. One touch, South American ‘toque’ style, very efficient. Carlos always made the right pass at the right time. It was a pleasure to play in the same team as him, says French international Stéphane Paille, who played alongside him for Montpellier.
With Valderrama in the side Montpellier went from strength to strength. In 1990, when we won the French Cup, he was the main man: he saved our skins in the semi-final against Saint-Étienne, says President Nicollin. Laurent Blanc, who also played in that team, feels the same way. It was in that semi-final that he really made people sit up and pay attention. He was absolutely fabulous. In European games against PSV Eindhoven and Steaua Bucharest, he also showed he had talent to spare.
After playing his second season with Montpellier, Valderrama was still somewhat unsettled at the club, drifting in and out of the starting eleven, although he was one of the key references when Montpellier won the 1989-90 French Cup; one of the very few titles that Montpellier has won. The 1989-90 season had a lot of ups and downs for Valderrama, one of the biggest challenges for the Colombian was adjusting whenever he had to play for Colombia, because Montpellier played the European game which was very different to the type of football played in South America.
1989 World Cup Qualifiers
For the first time since 1987, Colombians were asking for Valderrama to be replaced, as it was popular opinion that Valderrama was not clicking with his South American based teammates. In a 2003 interview, the then coach of Colombia explained: Fifteen years ago I was told I was stubborn and too severe because I stood up for what I believed in. And it’s still the same today because I have exactly the same principles as I’ve always had – even more so. Giovanni’s case is just like Carlos Valderrama 15 years ago. Most people wanted Carlos out of the team, they said he was too slow. He was around 26 or 27 at the time, the same age as Hernandez today. I told Giovanni: “If I hadn’t been courageous enough to stand up for what I believed in or if Carlos hadn’t, then he would never have enjoyed the career he did. You have to be true to yourself. I’m going to continue to stand up for what I believe and support you... but you also have to be there for me. If you can do this you’ll become the Valderrama nobody believed in at the time and who everybody adores today. explains Francisco Pacho Maturana, who coached Colombia between 1987-1994.
Despite drifting in and out of the starting eleven at club level and almost falling out at international level; Valderrama captained his country throughout the 1989 World Cup Qualifiers, and Colombia qualified for the 1990 World Cup after not playing in a World Cup Tournament since 1962.
1990 World Cup: Italia'90
At the 1990 World Cup, Valderrama caught the eye of many football pundits with his mature performances and the overall distinctiveness of his play and his look; here we take a brief look at his performances in Italia'90. Valderrama scored his one and only world cup goal in his very first world cup match against United Arab Emirates, a game in which Colombia did not played at their best as a team, but individually, Valderrama was in good form showing various glimpses of pure genius; the game was won by a 2-0 margin, but it could have been more had the strikers been more clinical. It was clear that Colombia had no problems creating plays, the problem was in the last third of the pith, where they lacked goalscoring talent; a fact emphasized by the fact that it was Bernardo Redin and Carlos Valderrama who scored the two goals in the 2-0 win, after the forwards failed to convert easy chances.
The second group game was against Yugoslavia, the first half saw some glimpses of magic from the duo Valderrama-Redin, but overall, it was not an entertaining display, with a lot of spot kicks due to the defensive tactics of Yugoslavia; the defensive style that Yugoslavia adopted for this match clearly affected the performance of Valderrama, who drifted in and out of play and unable to outrun the tackles due to his lack of pace, he was basically kicked out of the game. Yugoslavia won the game by a 1-0 margin, Colombia now needed a point against West Germany.
At the time, Franz Beckenbauer was the manager of West Germany and he watched that game from the stands, and took note of that defensive approach of placing two players close to Valderrama and thus containing Colombia. In their third and final group game, Colombia faced West Germany and they needed a point in order to qualify to the last 16 stage. West Germany was by far the best team of the tournament so far, winning their game against Yugoslavia by a comfortable 4-1 margin, and winning their game against United Arab Emirates by an ample 5-1 margin; everyone expected West Germany to win comfortably.
The day came and the ball started rolling about, and exactly as it happened with England two years earlier; Colombia was outplaying a European heavyweight... whenever Valderrama had the ball he was surrounded by at least two players and was somewhat contained, however, Colombia was having a great game as a team and was clearly outplaying West Germany. And as always, even when contained, Valderrama was a rare talent who never really needed to do any dribbling with the ball, he could create a play without barely moving, one touch or two touches on the ball would be enough for him; Valderrama was instrumental in Colombia's most dangerous plays and in the first half he gave one pass that should have been a goal because it was as easy as they come, and also provided another pass that could have easily been a goal; Valderrama was doing most of his work without the ball, and although it did not looked like it, he was a very effective playmaker throughout the game, not wasting one touch on the ball and doing more with less.
The first half was of Colombia, with Valderrama gradually growing in stature until he was fouled and injured in the later stages of the first half; the Colombian needed to be stretchered off but soon returned to action, albeit with an ankle knock which clearly affected his play after the incident. As the game went on, West Germany started gaining more ground, at some stage in the second half a Lothar Matthaus shot crashed against the post; at the other end, Colombia also had a few chances, but it was not the same dominant display that the world saw in the first half.
The game was near the end, it was the 87th minute and it looked like Colombia had earned the point they needed in order to go through to the knock-out stages. However, in the 88th minute West Germany scored a goal, and it looked like Colombia was going home early... and then, from out of nowhere, the Colombian number 10 received a pass somewhere around the center circle, surrounded by two players, it looked like an ordinary hit and miss play, but Valderrama once again showed his mantra: not wasting one touch on the ball, doing more with less, creating something from nothing...
The Colombian captain received a pass just outside of the center circle on the right side of the pitch, he was surrounded by two opponents and had to maneuver his way around them, he turned around with the ball and suddenly played a short one-two play, after passing the ball he quickly ran into the space to look for the return pass, he received the return pass and with his second touch on the ball slipped a blind left-footed pass which provided teammate Freddy Rincon with a one-on-one chance against the German goalkeeper... and the rest is deeply embedded in Colombian Football folklore.
Freddy Rincon scored the goal which tied the match at 1-1 and sent Colombia to the second round for the first time in its history. As BBC´s Barry George Davies commented: Valderrama, who has served his side poorly on this occasion... suddenly he is alive! this is Rincon!! — and he scores!!! Unbelievable... Unbelievable!! How quickly can despair become delight! how quickly can a player, who had contributed nothing! suddenly come to life and put in Rincon... to give Colombians the points which they thought they had saved, which Littbarski took away from them, and which Rincon has now restored! Valderrama’s pass and it was a beauty, beat all the players coming forwards, and Rincon, straight through the legs of Bodo Illgner
This was already considered a great success in Colombia, for a country that had not qualified to a World Cup Tournament since 1962, reaching the second stage for the first time in their history and outplaying a European heavyweight such as West Germany was already an incredible success and distinction: Colombia was the only team who did not lose against West Germany, the only team that actually outplayed the eventual champions.
In the round of 16 Colombia would play against the now legendary indomitable lions Cameroon side which finished first in their group, in their first game coming up with an upset by beating Maradona´s Argentina by a 1-0 margin, and in their second game winning against Gheorghe Hagi´s Romania by a 2-1 margin; in their second game, the introduction of Roger Milla was the catalyst for a 2–1 win over Romania, Milla scoring twice from the bench (making him the oldest goalscorer in the tournament).
On the day, Colombia was the better team and created the most chances, again displaying an attractive and unconventional brand of short passing football; as it was against West Germany, the first half was of Colombia and in the second half Cameroon started gaining ground; this was arguably Valderrama´s best performance in the tournament, providing an assist, producing sensational one-two plays, no-look heel passes, inch perfect long balls, incisive ground passes into the penalty area, instrumental in Colombia's better plays; but again, Colombia showed that they had no problem creating opportunities, the problem was scoring the goals... As it was against United Arab Emirates and then against West Germany, Colombia showed a lack of goal scoring talent in the last third of the pitch.
On the other hand, Cameroon used counter attacking tactics and showed their tenacity in the few attacks that they created, clearly showing that goalscoring was not a problem for them; they also committed a lot of cynical fouls in a clear attempt to break down Colombia´s fluid short passing game, in the second half this was a lot more noticeable because it proved more successful. Roger Milla was again introduced as a second half substitute, the game was goalless, and after 90 minutes of play the score was a 0-0 draw.
On to extra time, and it was Roger Milla who again scored the all important goal for Cameroon, quickly scoring a second goal and making it near impossible for Colombia. With Cameroon winning by a 2-0 margin, Colombia replied with a beautiful response, perhaps one of the most beautiful and yet underrated goals in World Cup history; again, the Colombian number 10 was instrumental, starting the attack from a deep midfield area and also providing the final ball; the goal was scored by Bernardo Redin and assisted by Carlos Valderrama, but this time it was not enough, this was as good as it got for the Colombians, the game ended a 2-1 defeat for Colombia and Cameroon would go on to play against England in the quarter finals, albeit without their best players due to the fact that Cameroon´s starting eleven practically sat out the quarter final due to accumulation of yellow cards, due to the physical nature of the play that got them through Argentina, Romania, and now Colombia.
The 1990 World Cup Tournament cemented Valderrama´s reputation as one of the very best playmakers in the world, the recognition was enough to guarantee him a starting eleven spot at club level with Montpellier HSC.
Back at Montpellier HSC: Saison 1990-91
In his third year with the French club, Valderrama seemed more settled, season 1990-91 was his most consistent season with Montpellier, with some memorable performances throughout the season.
Despite his improvement in terms of consistency, he never actually settled in France, at least not to the level you would expect from a player with such qualities; but then again, it is perhaps because of his qualities that he never really settled at Montpellier... Valderrama was more or less a luxury player playing for a modest European team. The Europeans played a fast and tenacious football, on the other hand, Valderrama was all about perfection and precision, and this was as clear as daylight whenever you saw the Colombian wearing the Montpellier shirt; if his teammates did not involved him in the play, Valderrama often gave an impression of disinterest, but he never failed to show glimpses of his undeniable class, the trademark quality of a real genius.
Perhaps this was best shown when Eric Cantona played for Montpellier HSC, during season 1989-90, Cantona was the only true world class forward to play alongside Valderrama: and it was in season 1989-90 that Montpellier won the French Cup with Carlos Valderrama and Eric Cantona as the references. The 1990 French Cup remains one of the very few trophies the club has won to this day.
This is also reaffirmed by words from Cantona himself, the player who famously called Didier Deschamps the water carrier and a player who played alongside midfielders like David Beckham and Paul Scholes; apparently, Cantona holds Valderrama in very high esteem, including the Colombian midfielder in his Perfect XI Team, alongside footballing legends such as Johan Cruijff, George Best, Garrincha, and Diego Maradona. As Eric Cantona told FourFourTwo Magazine: a lot of people only remember his hair, but he was a wonderful footballer. We played together at Montpellier and it was an absolute pleasure. He is a shy and quiet man, but also has a strong character. Physically he wasn’t great, but he had such vision and could get the ball where he wanted. He was a very generous player, he never thought about himself. Since he retired, Colombia have done nothing, which says a lot.
His undoubted genius coupled with his lack of tenacity, is also expressed by other former teammates: Carlos had his qualities and his faults: above all he was good on the ball. But he wasn’t great at chasing back to defend the way you are expected to in the European game. He wasn’t defensive enough! is how Stéphane Paille sums up his ex-team-mate. President Nicollin adds: He kept the ball a lot because he could! Either you’re a class act or you’re not. Carlos was all class... It’s true he didn’t chase back to defend a great deal but his passing skills were sublime. That’s why we had him in there.
The final word and perhaps the most accurate, goes to Laurent Blanc: In the fast and furious European game he wasn’t always at his ease. He was a natural exponent of ‘toque’, keeping the ball moving. But he was so gifted that we could give him the ball when we didn’t know what else to do with it knowing he wouldn’t lose it... and often he would do things that most of us only dream about!
Real Valladolid
We should never have let him leave says Nicollin. Yet when El Pibe left Montpellier, he was not snapped up by a big club. He joined another modest outfit in Valladolid, this time in the Spanish league. He was supposed to stay for longer, having just arrived in 1991, however due to some economic difficulties within the club, after half a season in La Liga, Valderrama decided to sign for Independiente Medellin; thus, returning to Colombia in 1992.
He partly chose Valladolid because three compatriots were all on the payroll there: coach Francisco Maturana, goalkeeper René Higuita and defensive midfielder Leonel Alvarez. We should never have let him leave. He was thirty and I suppose we thought his best football was behind him, says Nicollin.
Independiente Meddellin
In 1992 he returned to Colombia, Independiente Medellin signed him, and he played the second half of the season; even though the team did not qualified for the finals, Valderrama was the best player in the clausura tournament (second half of the season).
Atletico Junior Barranquilla
In 1993, the owner of the Junior Barranquilla football club, Fuad Cher, decided to sign Valderrama as well as some experienced players who were well known in Colombia, such as Ivan Rene Valenciano who played for Atalanta in the Serie A. This proven to be a successful inversion, as Atletico Junior went on to win both the Apertura tournament and Clausura tournament, winning the tournament in the last game of the season.
The last time Atletico Junior had won the Colombian Tournament, had been in 1980, so after 13 years of struggle this success was very celebrated. Valderrama and Co went on to win the title once again in 1995.
MLS Football
Carlos El Pibe Valderrama gave the last five years of his playing days to a grateful United States. He brought his brand of attractive football to three different clubs in the fledgling Major League Soccer, and summarily won the hearts of supporters in Tampa Bay, Miami and Colorado with his trademark brand of midfield magic and a prolific penchant for conjuring goals.
In MLS’ first season (1996), the Powers That Be were keen to sign some well-known, foreign stars in an attempt to stir the souls of supporters still buzzing from USA 94. Many of the acquisitions proved fruitless, even laughable, but Valderrama’s languid creativity had the new football nation captivated from the start.
MLS MVP with the Mutiny: El Pibe began his stateside campaign with the now-defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1996. And the warm, balmy weather and sun-drenched splendor of South Florida seemed to strike an immediate chord in the Colombian wizard’s heart. At once, the crowds warmed to the golden-locked Colombian and his clever machinations in the middle of the park.
In MLS’ inaugural season, Valderrama earned League “Most Valuable Player” honors and the respect and recognition of a nation still rather reluctant to accept the world’s football. In his first year he set up an astonishing 17 goals, and even managed to score an unlikely four himself.
The following season (1997), El Pibe was voted MVP of the mid-season MLS All-Star game after scoring an uncharacteristic stunner and laying claim to two assists in the East's 5-4 win. He was a finalist for League Most Valuable Player again and only one of three players named in the League’s First XI in both of MLS’ first two seasons.
Mutiny president and general manager Nick Sakiewicz was one of Valderrama’s most ardent admirers. ...Carlos can do more with his feet than most people can do with their hands, he commented following the midfielder’s second season in MLS.
In two seasons with the Mutiny, Valderrama twice led the club to the Eastern conference finals. After two successful seasons in Tampa Bay, Valderrama made a move to the newly formed Miami Fusion to help reinforce football fever in South Florida. His performances for MLS’ second club in the state were predictably brilliant.
Leading the inexperienced expansion club to the playoffs, Valderrama continued to stun the nation with his prolific capacity for setting up goals.
El Pibe made a short-lived return to Tampa Bay for the club’s last season in 1999, before finishing off his brilliant career amid the unfamiliar and frigid backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in Denver, Colorado. There, at the age of 40, he became the oldest player ever to pull on an MLS jersey in 2002 while leading the Rapids to the playoffs in his final season.
The move west was sparked by MLS contraction in 2000, when both of the midfielder’s previous teams (Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny) were disbanded due to financial concerns.
Carlos is one of the most recognizable symbols in MLS. More than that, he is an elegant and incisive player, and continues to be a friend of soccer in the United States, MLS Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis commented early on in the player’s US spell.
El Pibe’s loss has been felt most keenly in Colorado. Since his failure to agree terms and subsequent retirement, the club has stumbled profoundly. Without their midfield maestro, the Rapids have failed to win even one of their first five matches in 2003. Only hitting the back of the net three times, Colorado are stuck at the bottom of the table with only one point from five matches.
While a member of the Mutiny, the team would sell Carlos Valderrama wigs at Tampa Stadium. In Major League Soccer, Valderrama scored relatively few goals (16) for a midfielder, but is the league's second all-time leader in assists (114) after Steve Ralston (121), a former teammate. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI. He was also named one of the top players of the 20th century by Pelé in 1999.
Playing Style
Above all, he was a pleasure to watch when he had the ball at his feet, with quick and light feet, giving the impression of gliding as opposed to running. Perhaps his most remarkable strengths were his positioning and passing accuracy, the reason why he could play at walking pace, because with one touch or two touches on the ball he would do enough damage to make himself felt.
Another very distinctive quality, was that Valderrama was completely two-footed when dribbling with the ball and passing the ball, which added to his quick footed technique made it near impossible to intercept his passes; his two-footed ability was very apparent when he played his trademark one-two plays.
And also, one of his most distinctive qualities was that he had the touch and control of a smaller player like for example Xavi Hernandez from FC Barcelona, coupled with the strength of a bigger player like for example Roman Riquelme from Boca Juniors. For his size and build, he was deceivingly strong.
Perhaps the most accurate contemporary comparison would be Xavi Hernandez from FC Barcelona: always free from mark to their mental sharpness or ability to read the game one second ahead of everybody else, inch perfect passes both through the ground or through the air, close control that allows them to play in very small spaces often surrounded by packs of two or three opponents, and a lack of goal scoring ability.
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.
Valderrama has since become assistant manager of Atlético Junior. On November 1, 2007, Valderrama accused a referee of corruption by waving cash in the face of Oscar Julian Ruiz when the official awarded a penalty to América de Cali. Junior lost the match 4-1, which ended the club's hopes of playoff qualification.[1]
Personal life
Valderrama 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. He is currently a coach for a soccer academy in Clearwater, Florida.
Honours
Club
- French Cup: 1990
Atlético Junior
- Colombian Championship: 1993, 1995
Tampa Bay Mutiny
- MLS Supporters' Shield: 1996
Individual
- South American Footballer of the Year: 1987, 1993
- MLS All-Star of the Year: 1996
- Major League Soccer MVP: 1996
- MLS All-time leader in assists
Other recognition
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 by his nickname, "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.
Statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Colombia | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 1981 | Unión Magdalena | |||||||
| 1982 | ||||||||
| 1983 | ||||||||
| 1984 | Millonarios | |||||||
| 1985 | Deportivo Cali | |||||||
| 1986 | ||||||||
| 1987 | ||||||||
| France | League | Coupe de France | Total | |||||
| 1988-89 | Montpellier | Division 1 | 24 | 1 | ||||
| 1989-90 | 18 | 1 | ||||||
| 1990-91 | 35 | 2 | ||||||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Total | |||||
| 1990-91 | Real Valladolid | La Liga | 17 | 1 | ||||
| Colombia | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 1992 | Independiente Medellín | |||||||
| 1993 | Atlético Junior | 35 | 4 | |||||
| 1994 | 18 | 1 | ||||||
| 1995 | 29 | 0 | ||||||
| USA | League | Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | Total | |||||
| 1996 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Major League Soccer | 23 | 4 | ||||
| 1997 | 20 | 3 | ||||||
| 1998 | Miami Fusion | Major League Soccer | 18 | 2 | ||||
| 1999 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| 1999 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Major League Soccer | 27 | 3 | ||||
| 2000 | 32 | 1 | ||||||
| 2001 | 12 | 1 | ||||||
| 2001 | Colorado Rapids | Major League Soccer | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2002 | 27 | 1 | ||||||
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | Colombia | |||||||
| France | 77 | 4 | ||||||
| Spain | 17 | 1 | ||||||
| USA | 175 | 16 | ||||||
| Career total | ||||||||
References
- ↑ AP (2007), Valderrama expelled from match for taunting referee with cash, USA Today, 1 November 2007, usatoday.com. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
External links
- Career details at National Football Teams
- International statistics at rsssf
- (Spanish)Link for Valderrama
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Preceded by none |
Major League Soccer MVP Award 1996 |
Succeeded by Preki |
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