Recently, legendary Spanish football star Valerón officially announced his retirement. After 20 years on the pitch, the 41-year-old will hang up his boots at the end of this season. Immigrating to Spain to watch world-class football matches up close is likely the greatest dream for many loyal football fans.
Recently, Valerón, who currently plays for Las Palmas in La Liga, held a press conference to confirm that he will end his professional career after this season. "Retiring at home is like a dream. I want to thank the president, the coach, and my teammates at Las Palmas, and even more so, I want to thank everyone who has appeared in my career, allowing me to have such wonderful memories."
Many young fans may not be very familiar with the 41-year-old Valerón, but he was a representative figure of technical football at the beginning of this century. Known as the "Spanish Zidane," his ability to organize play and deliver threatening passes was unparalleled.
Valerón started his career at Las Palmas, but after joining Atlético Madrid, he failed to integrate into the team, and the 'Rojiblancos' were unfortunately relegated in 2000. That year, Valerón chose to join the La Liga powerhouse Deportivo La Coruña, which became a turning point in his professional career.
Makaay, Tristán, Mauro Silva, Capdevila, Pablo... Valerón and this group of outstanding players formed the "Super Depor" of that era. They won the 2001-02 La Liga title, breaking the monopoly of Real Madrid and Barcelona on the league championship.
This "Super Depor" team was not only capable of winning domestic titles but also shocked the world in the UEFA Champions League. A representative example is undoubtedly the 2003-04 Champions League quarter-final, where Deportivo, after losing 1-4 in the first leg, swept their opponents 4-0 in the second leg to complete a comeback and advance!
Valerón was also a member of the Spanish national team during that era, participating in the 2000 and 2004 European Championships as well as the 2002 World Cup. However, due to his playing style, he was not favored by every coach. The 2005 match against the Chinese national team became Valerón's farewell performance for the national team, with his final record standing at 46 caps and 5 goals.