 Albelda as aValencia player (2010) | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | David Albelda Aliqués[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1977-09-01)1 September 1977 (age 48)[2] | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Pobla Llarga, Spain[1] | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | |||||||||||||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Villarreal B (manager) | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| 1992–1995 | Alzira | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Valencia B | 31 | (4) | |||||||||||
| 1995–2013 | Valencia | 351 | (6) | |||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | →Villarreal (loan) | 34 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | →Villarreal (loan) | 35 | (2) | |||||||||||
| Total | 451 | (12) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Spain U18 | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1997 | Spain U20 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Spain U21 | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 2000 | Spain U23 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 2001–2008 | Spain | 51 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Atzeneta | |||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | Villarreal C | |||||||||||||
| 2025– | Villarreal B | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
David Albelda Aliqués (Spanish pronunciation:[daˈβiðalˈβeldaaliˈkes]; born 1 September 1977) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as adefensive midfielder.[3] He is themanager ofVillarreal B.
He played mainly forValencia during his 18-year senior career, beingteam captain for over a decade and appearing in 480 competitive matches.[4] With his main club, he won five trophies including twoLa Liga championships and the2004 UEFA Cup.
ASpain international in the 2000s, Albelda won 51caps for the country, representing it in twoWorld Cups and atEuro 2004. He later worked as amanager.
Born inLa Pobla Llarga,Valencian Community, Albelda started his career as acentral defender with localUD Alzira and, after having served two separate loans withVillarreal CF, also in the region, returned for good to first professional clubValencia CF in the1999–2000 season, playing a major role in a squad that was crownedLa Liga champions in2002 and2004,[5] adding to that the2004UEFA Cup;[6] since summer 2001, withGaizka Mendieta's departure, he was also awardedteam captaincy.[7]
Albelda, along with teammatesSantiago Cañizares andMiguel Ángel Angulo was axed from the squad on 20 December 2007 by recently arrived coachRonald Koeman;[8] in the captain's case, he had ironically just renewed his link with theChe until 2011.[9] In response, on 2 January 2008, Albelda's lawyer claimed that Valencia had ignored his client's plea for an amicable end to the player's contract, with legal recourse the only possible avenue left.[10] With news of this hitting the media, several teams, although he would not be able to join any Spanish team for the remainder ofthe season, having played more than four league games, studied the possibility of signing him in the winter transfer window, with hopes of afree transfer.
In late April 2008, however, with Koeman's dismissal, all three were reinstated by new managerVoro in a squad seriously threatened with relegation, with five remaining rounds. He returned to action in the second half of the 6–0 away loss againstFC Barcelona on 4 May,[11] and received his first post-reinstatement start in a 5–1 victory in the derby away atLevante UD the following week, as the side mathematically retained top-flight status.[12]
For2008–09, Albelda remained a regular fixture alongside longtime central midfield teammateRubén Baraja.[13] On 10 January 2009 he delivered an outstanding performance atright-back, replacing suspendedMiguel in a 3–3 homederby against Villarreal.[14][15]
Albelda was played intermittently by Valencia from 2010 to 2013, also suffering several injury problems.[16][17][18] On 10 June 2013, it was announced that the 35-year-old would not renew his contract with the club, leaving as a free agent;[19] he announced his retirement two months later.[20]
ASpanish international since 5 September 2001, in 2–0 away win againstLiechtenstein for the2002 FIFA World Cupqualifiers, Albelda was part of the Spanish squad in the 2002 and2006FIFA World Cups.[5] He also played inUEFA Euro 2004.[21]
After having been ousted from the Valencia squad, Albelda would still be called by national team bossLuis Aragonés to a 6 February 2008friendly withFrance.[22] He would eventually not make the final cut forEuro 2008, as Spain emerged victorious.
Albelda alsowon asilver medal at the2000 Summer Olympics inSydney,[2] and representedhis nation at the1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.
On 29 May 2019, Albelda was appointed manager ofTercera División sideAtzeneta UE.[23] He led them to theirfirst-ever promotion toSegunda División B on 26 July 2020, after beatingCD Alcoyano inthe play-offs.[24]
On 24 May 2021, afterbeing immediately relegated, Albelda left the club.[25] He returned to Villarreal in December 2023, being put in charge of theC team in theTercera Federación.[26]
On 29 May 2025, Albelda replaced longtime incumbentMiguel Álvarez at the helm ofthe reserves inPrimera Federación.[27]
Albelda married Spanish model and presenter Vicen Fernández in 2007.[28]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Valencia B | 1995–96 | Segunda División B | 31 | 4 | – | – | 5[a] | 1 | 36 | 5 | ||
| Valencia | 1997–98 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1999–2000 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2[b] | 1 | 35 | 1 | |
| 2000–01 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | – | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | La Liga | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | – | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2002–03 | La Liga | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | – | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 1 | – | 44 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | La Liga | 32 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 40 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | La Liga | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | La Liga | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 35 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 21 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 27 | 0 | ||
| Total | 346 | 6 | 27 | 0 | 100 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 480 | 9 | ||
| Villarreal (loan) | 1996–97 | Segunda División | 34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | – | 39 | 0 | ||
| Villarreal (loan) | 1998–99 | La Liga | 35 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | 2[d] | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| Career total | 446 | 12 | 36 | 0 | 100 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 596 | 16 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 51 | 0 | |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Atzeneta |  | 29 May 2019 | 24 May 2021 | 56 | 24 | 12 | 20 | 71 | 52 | +19 | 042.86 | [32] |
| Villarreal C | | 20 December 2023 | 29 May 2025 | 55 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 91 | 62 | +29 | 038.18 | [33] |
| Villarreal B | | 29 May 2025 | Present | 23 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 034.78 | [34] |
| Total | 134 | 53 | 40 | 41 | 190 | 134 | +56 | 039.55 | — | |||
Valencia
Spain U23
Spain squads | |||||||||||||||||||
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