Miguel Albiol

Spanish footballer

Miguel Albiol
Personal information
Full name	Miguel Albiol Tortajada
Date of birth	(1981-09-02) 2 September 1981 (age 42)
Place of birth	Vilamarxant, Spain
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Ribarroja
	Valencia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2003	Valencia B	81	(8)
2002–2003	Valencia	1	(0)
2003	→ Murcia (loan)	19	(0)
2003–2004	Recreativo	37	(0)
2004–2009	Rayo Vallecano	190	(18)
2009–2015	Murcia	135	(6)
Total		463	(32)
International career
1999	Spain U17	3	(0)
2001	Spain U20	1	(0)
2002	Spain U21	2	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Miguel Albiol Tortajada (Valencian pronunciation: [miˈkɛl albiˈɔl]; born 2 September 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a right midfielder.

In a 16-year professional career, he amassed Segunda División totals of 178 matches and two goals over seven seasons, in representation of three clubs. In La Liga, he appeared for Valencia.

Club career

Born in Vilamarxant, Valencian Community, Albiol was a product of hometown Valencia CF's youth ranks as younger brother Raúl after him, and played once with its first team, during 2002–03's La Liga.^[1] He finished that season in the Segunda División with Real Murcia, featuring regularly en route to the club's promotion.^[2]

Released by the Che, Albiol spent a further year with Recreativo de Huelva (also second tier), then had a steady period with Rayo Vallecano. He was instrumental in the latter side's 2008 promotion to division two, after four consecutive playoff failures.^[2]

In July 2009, apparently after having everything arranged with Hércules CF,^[3] Albiol agreed on a return move to Murcia, signing for three years.^[4] He appeared in 30 games in his first season – 22 starts – which ended in second-division relegation.

Personal life

Albiol's younger brother, Raúl, is also a footballer. He represented with success Valencia, Real Madrid, SSC Napoli, Villarreal CF and the Spain national team.^[5]^[6]

References

^ Llamas, Fernando (14 December 2002). "El Valencia gana un 'derby' sin rival" [Valencia win opposition-free derby]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2016.
^ ^a ^b Martín, Maite (28 December 2008). ""El ascenso del Murcia fue bonito, el del Rayo especial"" ["The promotion with Murcia was beautiful, the one with Rayo special"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 November 2021.
^ "Albiol, dos años" [Albiol, two years]. Diario Información (in Spanish). 3 July 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
^ "Mercado: Miguel Albiol vuelve al Murcia" [Market: Miguel Albiol returns to Murcia] (in Spanish). Goal. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
^ "Los hermanos Albiol frente a frente" [The Albiol brothers face to face]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 26 October 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
^ "RealAlbiol: "Mourinho nos ha dado carácter. Día a día demuestra lo gran entrenador que es"" [RealAlbiol: "Mourinho has built our character. Every day he shows the great manager he is"] (in Spanish). Real Madrid CF. 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2013.