The last ten years have been an absolute roller coaster ride for Valencia and their fans. The first half of the decade proved to be one of the club’s most successful as they made back-to-back Champions League finals (2000 and 2001), albeit losing in both of them, but picked up the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup in 2004 as well as the Primera Division crown.
The second half of the decade however, has brought nothing but grief. As if almost like a curse, as soon as Rafa Benitez left for Liverpool in June 2004 after a falling out with Los Che sporting director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch (now at Atletico Madrid), Valencia have been hit by one crisis after another.
Despite the seemingly never-ending turmoil on and off the pitch, the Blanquinegros have always managed to produce, find or nurture world class players and it constantly remains a baffling mystery how they would have sometimes up to five or six players representing the Spanish national team. Here then is a collection of the best of the best Los Che have had to offer over the past ten years.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Santiago Canizares (1998-2008)
Santi was one of the best goalkeepers in La Liga over the last decade and he was Valencia’s very own Buffon or Casillas or van der Sar. The shot-stopper was a formidable figure between the sticks and he had such commanding presence in the area and it was because of him that the club gained a reputation as a defensive rock. Much like Benitez, once Canizares left, Los Che have had non-stop issues in finding a replacement. He was infamously banished from the squad by Ronald Koeman in December 2007 and ever since then, Valencia have not been able to overcome their goalkeeping problems.
Miguel (2005-present)
The Portuguese arrived from Benfica for €7.5 million and quickly established himself as a key figure in the team. Like any player with samba blood in his veins, he is better known for his attacking qualities than defensive attributes, although he is no slouch at the back. He was well on track to becoming one of the best right-backs in the world but his career stalled temporarily when he ran into trouble with the law following a nightclub incident in early 2008 which was followed by further problems with the club. However, he has slowly won his place back under Unai Emery and he has even been utilised as an attacking winger, a familiar position during his early days.
Roberto Ayala (2000-2007)
One of the toughest, most uncompromising defenders around, Ayala, ironically nicknamed ‘The Mouse’, was one of the main reasons why Valencia was renowned for their water-tight defence in the early parts of the decade, a core feature that contributed to the team’s success. During his peak around the mid 2000’s, he had established himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and several big clubs came calling, including Real Madrid. But the Argentine brick wall stayed before he notoriously opted to join regional rivals, Villarreal in 2007, but the joke was on the Yellow Submarine when he decided to move to Real Zaragoza without making even a single appearance at El Madrigal.
Carlos Marchena (2001-present)
Another no-nonsense defender, together with Ayala, they formed that aforementioned water-tight rearguard, a partnership that played an amazingly pivotal role in helping Valencia capture the league and UEFA Cup double in 2004. With his old collaborator now gone and a very new-look backline being shipped in, Marchena has become the elder statesman, even though he is only 29, not just on the pitch but in the dressing room after he took over the captain’s armband from David Albelda. How the club move forward into the next decade will rest very much on his shoulders.
Fabio Aurelio (2000-2006)
He may not be recognised as one of the top full-backs in the game, but Fabio Aurelio has that unsung hero quality about him. The 2002/03 term was the best in his career so far when he totalled eight goals in 27 appearances to become the team’s joint top scorer that year in the league, while he also featured heavily in Europe, netting two goals in eight outings. Not bad at all for a defender. However, he had the misfortune of missing Valencia’s most successful campaign of the decade, the 2003/04 double-winning season, because of a broken leg. In the summer of 2006, he left the Mestalla to reunite with Rafa Benitez at Liverpool.
David Albelda (1996-present)
The rock in Valencia’s midfield for the past decade, the 31-year-old actually started off as a centre-back and his first two seasons in professional football was spent out on loan at Villarreal. The no-frills no-thrills midfield general was an integral part in the Che team and he was the voice in the dressing room. But just like most players in the squad, Albelda had a tumultuous time in early 2008 during the Ronald Koeman era when he was axed from the squad. Even though he has slowly regained his place in the starting XI, like a wounded lion in the pride, he doesn’t quite emit that unmistakable, fiery confidence anymore.
Gaizka Mendieta (1992-2001)
He may have exited the club a season and a half into the new decade, but he made such an impact and left such an indelible mark that he single-handedly put Valencia on the football map before the turn of the millennium. A commanding box-to-box player who can win challenges as well as score goals, he was voted European Midfielder of the Year in 2000 and 2001 for his phenomenal performances in the Champions League. He quickly became one of the hottest properties in the transfer market and he joined Lazio in the summer of 2001 for a club record €48 million. Los Che have never been able to find another player quite like him.
David Silva (2004-present)
One of the darlings and fan favourite in the current roster, David Silva is the kind of player every coach wants in their team thanks to his ability to line-up anywhere in the attacking half of the pitch. The 23-year-old is the kind of player who appeared out of nowhere. After two unspectacular loan spells early on in his career, he exploded into the big stage with Los Che in 2006 and a year later, he announced his arrival to the world after scoring a screamer against Chelsea in the Champions League. He has never looked back since and he has gone from strength to strength, so much so that in the past 12 months, he has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe.
Pablo Aimar (2001-2006)
Following the footsteps of Ariel Ortega, Claudio Lopez and Kily Gonzalez, Aimar was one of the many exciting Argentines to carve a name for themselves at the Mestalla. The pocket dynamite was signed by Valencia in 2001 for €24m, a considerable amount back then, but he immediately flourished, helping the side to the league title that very same campaign and guiding them to a second successive Champions League final. His creative and playmaking abilities were a breath of fresh air for a team who had been rigidly defensive over the past few years. Injuries, however, would soon ravage his game as he struggled to regain his old form and he was eventually sold to Real Zaragoza in 2006.
Vicente (2000-present)
The left winger has become the forgotten man at the Mestalla and the forgotten man of Spanish football. One of the first true flamboyant Valencia wingers of this decade, Vicente’s career has taken a cruel decline following a spate of injuries since the 2004/05 season. Still, he remains one of the team’s best ever players of his generation. The 2003/04 campaign was his most memorable when he netted 12 times in the league and he scored a goal in the 2-0 win over Marseille in the UEFA Cup final while assisting the other. Literally every single one of Europe’s superpowers came knocking at his door, but he opted to sign a four year extension with Los Che. The following season, however, was when things started to go pear-shape.
David Villa (2005-present)
Without doubt, the biggest star in Valencia today. He has been the team’s top scorer for the past four seasons in a row, totalling 101 goals in 167 games in all competitions. If there was one player could emulate the significance of Mendieta’s influence and contributions at the club, it would be ‘El Guaje’. He has firmly stamped his mark as one of the best players in the world at present, thanks largely to the blinding season he had last campaign, his best yet, when he amassed 31 goals in all. But with some of Europe’s big guns trying desperately to lure him away from the Mestalla, the Che faithful might have to start their search for the next big superstar.
Canizares
Miguel Ayala Marchena Aurelio
Albelda Mendieta
David Silva Aimar Vicente
David Villa
Do you agree with those who made it into the Valencia Team of the Decade 2000-2010? What would be your XI? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...
KS Leong, Goal.com