Carlos Marchena
Encyclopedia
Carlos Marchena López (ˈkaɾlos maɾˈtʃena ˈlopeθ; born 31 July 1979) is a Spanish
footballer who plays for Villarreal CF
and the Spanish national team
.
Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he can also pitch in as a defensive midfielder. Most of his professional career was spent at Valencia
(nine years), which he helped to five major titles, namely two La Liga
championships.
A Spanish international
for the better part of the 2000s, Marchena represented the nation in two World Cups
and as many European Championships.
, Province of Seville, Andalusia
, Marchena started his professional career in hometown club Sevilla FC
at the age of 18, when the club was playing in the Spanish second division
. In 1999–2000, he made his top flight
debut, playing the entire match in a 2–2 home draw with Real Sociedad
on 22 August 1999.
When Sevilla was relegated again at the end of the season, Marchena earned a transfer to Portugal
's S.L. Benfica, where he did sufficiently well to catch the eye of top club Valencia CF
, who were in need to provide cover for aging centre-back Miroslav Đukić.
moving in the opposite direction. While Marchena took a while in his first season to impress (16 appearances), as Valencia clinched their first league title in 30 years, he gradually became first-choice.
In the 2003–04 season, with Valencia capturing an historic league and UEFA Cup double, Marchena played a pivotal role in defense, teaming up with Roberto Ayala
. This polished performance led to his selection for the Spanish national team
for the Euro 2004 tournament.
2004–05
was not a very successful season for Valencia, as under new coach Claudio Ranieri
, the team struggled both domestically and in European tournaments. In a UEFA Champions League
group stage match against SV Werder Bremen
at the Mestalla Stadium, he was also given his marching orders in the final minutes of the match (0–2 defeat) and Valencia was eliminated from the elite competition. Marchena remained a regular at both defensive positions.
During the Champions League match against F.C. Internazionale Milano
on 6 March 2007, Marchena was involved in the on-pitch melee sparked by his teammate David Navarro
. Marchena appeared to kick Inter defender Nicolás Burdisso
after an angry exchange of words. After Navarro punched the Argentine
's nose, a scuffle took place with several of Burdisso's teammates chasing Navarro all the way into the dressing room.
Consequently, Marchena, Navarro and several other Inter players involved were later charged with "gross unsporting conduct" by UEFA
after the investigation. Both clubs were fined ₤106,000 while Marchena was banned for four games. After Euro 2008, Marchena was selected by Valencia teammates as new team captain, although he missed the first two months of the new season due to injury.
In 2009–10
, veteran Marchena contributed with 24 matches as the Che finished third and returned to the Champions League. He netted in two 3–1 away wins, against CA Osasuna
and Xerez CD
, only being booked seven times.
, for three seasons. On the 19th, he made his official debut for the Valencian
, opening the score in a 5–0 home win against FC Dnepr Mogilev, for the season's Europa League.
Regularly used in both defensive positions again, Marchena scored his second goal for the Yellow Submarine on 7 April 2011, in the same competition, a 5–1 home success against FC Twente
in the quarterfinals' first leg.
in the youth squad alongside Xavi
and Iker Casillas
, winning the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
. He was also on the roster for the 2000 Summer Olympics
squad, winning the silver medal
.
Marchena made his senior team debut on 21 August 2002, playing in a testimonial match
for Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás
in Budapest
, just after the FIFA World Cup
in South Korea
and Japan
.
Subsequently, he was part of the nation's squads at UEFA Euro 2004, where he was chosen at the last minute by then coach Iñaki Sáez
as a strategic move to bolster his squad defensively. While Spain did not do well in the tournament and bowed out in the early stages, he did manage two appearances, although he did also pick up two yellow cards while doing so.
Marchena was also picked for the 2006 World Cup
squad. However, he was not a regular starter and only featured in the last first-round game against Saudi Arabia
. He was called up by Luis Aragonés
again for Euro 2008, this time as undisputed starter, having also featured prominently in the qualifying stages. With Carles Puyol
, Sergio Ramos
and Joan Capdevila
, Marchena formed a rock-solid defense and conceded only two goals in five games, his hard work and man-marking skills earning him a spot in the team of the tournament.
Under new coach Vicente del Bosque
, Marchena slowly lost his spot to Gerard Piqué
, but was still called-up for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
, and the 2010 World Cup
; as Spain downed Saudi Arabia
on May 29, 2010, in preparation for the latter competition (where he played six minutes in the 1–0 quarterfinal win against Paraguay
, adding two injury-time appearances), he played his 50th consecutive undefeated match with the national team, surpassing previous holder Garrincha
(49).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for Villarreal CF
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
and the Spanish national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he can also pitch in as a defensive midfielder. Most of his professional career was spent at Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
(nine years), which he helped to five major titles, namely two La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
championships.
A Spanish international
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
for the better part of the 2000s, Marchena represented the nation in two World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and as many European Championships.
Early years
Born in Las Cabezas de San JuanLas Cabezas de San Juan
Las Cabezas de San Juan is a village and municipality located in the Bajo Guadalquivir comarca, in Seville province, Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2009 census , the village has a population of 16.464 inhabitants. Famous people from Las Cabezas de San Juan include Villarreal CF player Carlos...
, Province of Seville, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Marchena started his professional career in hometown club Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
at the age of 18, when the club was playing in the Spanish second division
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
. In 1999–2000, he made his top flight
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut, playing the entire match in a 2–2 home draw with Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
on 22 August 1999.
When Sevilla was relegated again at the end of the season, Marchena earned a transfer to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's S.L. Benfica, where he did sufficiently well to catch the eye of top club Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, who were in need to provide cover for aging centre-back Miroslav Đukić.
Valencia
Marchena signed a four-year contract, which involved a swap-deal, with Zlatko ZahovičZlatko Zahovic
Zlatko Zahovič is a retired Slovenian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.After making a name for himself in Europe in Portugal, most notably with Porto and Benfica, he went on to have unassuming spells in Spain and Greece...
moving in the opposite direction. While Marchena took a while in his first season to impress (16 appearances), as Valencia clinched their first league title in 30 years, he gradually became first-choice.
In the 2003–04 season, with Valencia capturing an historic league and UEFA Cup double, Marchena played a pivotal role in defense, teaming up with Roberto Ayala
Roberto Ayala
Roberto Fabián Ayala , nicknamed el Ratón , is a former Argentine football centre back.Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, Ayala captained the Argentine national team for more matches than anyone else...
. This polished performance led to his selection for the Spanish national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
for the Euro 2004 tournament.
2004–05
2004–05 La Liga
2004–05 season was composed of the following clubs:* Albacete Balompié* Athletic Bilbao* Atlético Madrid* FC Barcelona* Real Betis* Deportivo de La Coruña* Espanyol* Getafe CF* Levante UD* Málaga CF* Real Mallorca* CD Numancia* CA Osasuna...
was not a very successful season for Valencia, as under new coach Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
, the team struggled both domestically and in European tournaments. In a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
group stage match against SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen
SV Werder Bremen is a German sports club best known for its association football team playing in Bremen, in the northwest German federal state of the same name. The club was founded on 4 February 1899 as Fußballverein Werder by a group of sixteen vocational high school students who had won a prize...
at the Mestalla Stadium, he was also given his marching orders in the final minutes of the match (0–2 defeat) and Valencia was eliminated from the elite competition. Marchena remained a regular at both defensive positions.
During the Champions League match against F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
on 6 March 2007, Marchena was involved in the on-pitch melee sparked by his teammate David Navarro
David Navarro (footballer)
David Navarro Pedrós is a Spanish footballer who plays for Neuchâtel Xamax in Switzerland, as a central defender.-Club career:Born in Sagunto, Camp de Morvedre, Valencia, Navarro was a product of local giants Valencia CF's youth ranks. During the course of six seasons, he appeared sporadically for...
. Marchena appeared to kick Inter defender Nicolás Burdisso
Nicolás Burdisso
Nicolás Andrés Burdisso is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central or right defender for A.S. Roma. He also holds European Union nationality.-Boca Juniors:...
after an angry exchange of words. After Navarro punched the Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
's nose, a scuffle took place with several of Burdisso's teammates chasing Navarro all the way into the dressing room.
Consequently, Marchena, Navarro and several other Inter players involved were later charged with "gross unsporting conduct" by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
after the investigation. Both clubs were fined ₤106,000 while Marchena was banned for four games. After Euro 2008, Marchena was selected by Valencia teammates as new team captain, although he missed the first two months of the new season due to injury.
In 2009–10
2009–10 La Liga
- Personnel and sponsoring :- Before the start of the season :- During the season :-League table:||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=1 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|...
, veteran Marchena contributed with 24 matches as the Che finished third and returned to the Champions League. He netted in two 3–1 away wins, against CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
and Xerez CD
Xerez CD
Xerez Club Deportivo, S.A.D., usually just Xerez, is a Spanish football team based in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia...
, only being booked seven times.
Later years
On 1 August 2010, 31-year old Marchena signed with Villarreal CFVillarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
, for three seasons. On the 19th, he made his official debut for the Valencian
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, opening the score in a 5–0 home win against FC Dnepr Mogilev, for the season's Europa League.
Regularly used in both defensive positions again, Marchena scored his second goal for the Yellow Submarine on 7 April 2011, in the same competition, a 5–1 home success against FC Twente
FC Twente
FC Twente is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Enschede, playing in the Eredivisie. The club was formed in 1965 by the merger of 1926 Eredivisie Champions, Sportclub Enschede and Enschedese Boys...
in the quarterfinals' first leg.
International career
Marchena first appeared internationally for SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the youth squad alongside Xavi
Xavi
Xavier Hernández i Creus , commonly known as Xavi Hernández or simply Xavi , is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, where he has spent his entire 14-year career....
and Iker Casillas
Íker Casillas
Iker Casillas Fernández is a Spanish football goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, being the captain of both...
, winning the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
1999 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:...
. He was also on the roster for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
squad, winning the silver medal
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...
.
Marchena made his senior team debut on 21 August 2002, playing in a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
for Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás
Ferenc Puskás was a Hungarian footballer and manager. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and was a World Cup finalist in 1954...
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, just after the FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Subsequently, he was part of the nation's squads at UEFA Euro 2004, where he was chosen at the last minute by then coach Iñaki Sáez
Iñaki Sáez
José Ignacio "Iñaki" Sáez Ruiz is a retired Spanish football defender and manager.The vast majority of his professional career was spent with Athletic Bilbao, which he later also coached in various levels, appearing in more than 300 official games with his main club.In addition to two other clubs...
as a strategic move to bolster his squad defensively. While Spain did not do well in the tournament and bowed out in the early stages, he did manage two appearances, although he did also pick up two yellow cards while doing so.
Marchena was also picked for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
squad. However, he was not a regular starter and only featured in the last first-round game against Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
. He was called up by Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragonés
José Luis Aragonés Suárez , usually referred to as Luis Aragonés and sometimes simply as Luis, is a former Spanish footballer and national coach....
again for Euro 2008, this time as undisputed starter, having also featured prominently in the qualifying stages. With Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol
Carles Puyol i Saforcada is a Spanish footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team.Mainly a central defender, he can also play on either flank, especially as a right back...
, Sergio Ramos
Sérgio Ramos
Sérgio Bruno Antunes Selores Ramos is a Portuguese basketball player.He measures 2.00 metres and plays as a Forward . He announced the end of his international career, after Portugal's exit from the EuroBasket 2007...
and Joan Capdevila
Joan Capdevila
Joan Capdevila i Méndez is a Spanish footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, and the Spanish national team.His usual position is left defender, but he is also capable of operating as a winger and, from a defensive position, often contributes with goals...
, Marchena formed a rock-solid defense and conceded only two goals in five games, his hard work and man-marking skills earning him a spot in the team of the tournament.
Under new coach Vicente del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
, Marchena slowly lost his spot to Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué
Gerard Piqué i Bernabeu is a Spanish footballer, currently playing as a central defender for FC Barcelona.A product of Barça's cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United in 2004, where he remained for four years, before returning to Barça under Josep Guardiola's leadership, helping...
, but was still called-up for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
, and the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
; as Spain downed Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
on May 29, 2010, in preparation for the latter competition (where he played six minutes in the 1–0 quarterfinal win against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
, adding two injury-time appearances), he played his 50th consecutive undefeated match with the national team, surpassing previous holder Garrincha
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos , known by the nickname "Garrincha" , was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.The word garrincha itself...
(49).
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 June 2005 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia, Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 197 teams entered the qualification process for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, competing for a total of 32 spots in the final tournament. Germany, as the host, qualified automatically, leaving 31 spots open for competition... |
|
| 2. | 22 August 2007 | Toumba Stadium Toumba Stadium Toumba Stadium is a football stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, owned by the multisports club A.S. PAOK. It was built in 6 September 1959 as the club's prime sporting venue and served the home ground for the club's football team, which was participating in the then national football league. The... , Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
1–1 | 2–3 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Club
Valencia- UEFA Cup: 2003–04
- UEFA Super Cup: 20042004 UEFA Super CupThe 2004 UEFA Super Cup was a UEFA-sponsored association football match between Porto of Portugal and Valencia of Spain, held on 27 August 2004 at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. The match was the 29th annual UEFA Super Cup contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup...
- Spanish LeagueLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2001–02, 2003–04 - Spanish CupCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 2007–08
Country
Spain- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
: 20102010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... - UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 2008 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
: Third-place 20092009 FIFA Confederations CupThe 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park... - FIFA U-20 World CupFIFA U-20 World CupThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
: 19991999 FIFA World Youth ChampionshipThe 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Nigeria between April 3 and April 24, 1999. The 1999 championship was the 12th contested.- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship.-Squads:... - Summer Olympic GamesSummer Olympic GamesThe Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
: Silver medalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
2000Football at the 2000 Summer OlympicsThe football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...