Valencia Greatest All-Time Team

Valencia won both La Liga and UEFA Cup in 2003-2004

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia,
Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, Atletic Bilbao, 
Deportivo La Coruna  Real Sociedad, Villarreal
Real Betis, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol
Spain without Real Madrid and Barcelona players
Valencia All-Time Team for Spanish Players
Valencia All-Time Team for Foreign Players
Valencian Community

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

Valencia were founded in 1919 and have played their home games at the 49,500-seater Mestalla since 1923.  It is among the most successful clubs in Spain.  In 1980, they won a Cup Winners' Cup.  Then, in the 2000's, the team reached its Golden period.  They won two La Liga titles.  In 2003-2004 season, they won the Double: La Liga and the UEFA Cup.  They also reached the Champions' league two years in a row: 1999–2000, 2000–01. They won back-to-back Fairs Cup in 1962 and 1963. 

Valencia is the fourth-most supported football club in Spain, behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. It is also one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of number of associates (registered paying supporters), with more than 50,000 season ticket holders and another 20,000+ season ticket holders on the waiting list, who can be accommodated in the new 75,000-seater stadium.

Cup Winners Cup 1980

Team
GK: Santiago Canizares (Spain) 
Santiago Canizares was a youth product of Real Madrid. He went to Valencia in 1998, where he led them to two Champions' league Final and winning the 2004 UEFA Cup.  He won Ricardo Zamora Trophy 4 times: 1992–93 (shared), 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04. He received 46 caps. He also spent two seasons with Celta. He went to six major international tournaments, but was mainly used as a backup, except at the European Championship in 2000.

Santiago Canizares

GK: Ignacio Eizaguirre (Spain)
Ignacio Eizaguirre started his career after the Spanish Civil War in 1939 with Real Sociedad.  He played one season and moved to Valencia in 1940.  He won three La Liga titles and two Ricardo Zamora trophies for being the best goalkeeper of the season. He also played for Osasuna. He played two games for Spain at the World Cup Finals in 1950 in which Spain finished 4th. He played 18 times for Spain between 1945 and 1952.

GK: José Manuel Sempere (Spain)

Sempere finished his youth career with local giants Valencia CF, making his senior debut with RCD Español on loan (no official appearances). Returned to the Che in the summer of 1980, one of his first games was the season's UEFA Super Cup second leg, with the side winning the competition against Nottingham Forest and him being the youngest ever goalkeeper to win that tournament, a record broken 22 years later by Iker Casillas of Real Madrid.

RB: Quique Sánchez Flores (Spain)

Quique began his professional career with Valencia in 1984, spending 10 seasons over there.  He then spent 2 seasons with Real Madrid before moving to Zaragoza, retiring in 1997. Internationally, he represented Spain at under-18, under-21 and under-23 levels, appearing with the senior side at the 1990 World Cup. Between 1987 and 1991, he had 15 caps for Spain.  His father also played for Real Madrid in the 1960's as a rightback.

RB: Jocelyn Angloma (France) 
Jocelyn Angloma was a member of the great Marseille team of the early 1990's.  He won the UEFA European Cup in 1993, the first ever for a French club.  He later played for Valencia and reached the Champions' League Final twice. He was a member of the French team at both Euro 1992 and 1996.  In 2006, Angloma came out of retirement to play for his native région, Guadeloupe, and help them qualify for the 2007 Caribbean Nations Cup.

Jocelyn Angloma

SW: Ricardo Penella Arias (Spain)
Ricardo Penella Arias spent 15 seasons out his 16 professional seasons with Valencia and payed 377 matches, winning the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup.  He followed the club to the lower division as it relegated after the 1985-1986 season.  He also played in CD Castellon for one season before retiring. For the national team, he only played a single game for Spain in 1979 against Portugal.

CB: Roberto Ayala (Argentina)
Roberto Ayala captained Argentina for 63 times, a record.  He is also the second cap record holder for Argentina with 115 caps.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006. He was best remembered for winning the UEFA Cup with Valencia. He also played for Real Zaragoza in Spain, Milan and Napoli in Italy and River Plate in his native Argentina.

CB: Miguel Tendillo (Spain)
Tendillo started his career with local Valencia CF, being an automatic first-choice since the age of 18 in 1979, winning the 1980 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.  He played there until 1986. After a single season with Real Murcia,  he joined Real Madrid in 1987.  Tendillo earned his first cap for Spain in 1980 before he was 20. Subsequently, he was called for that year's European Championship and the 1982 World Cup, appearing in a total of 27 matches.

CB: Carlos Marchena (Spain)
Carlos Marchena played for Benfica, Sevilla, Valencia, Villareal and Deportivo La Coruna. His peak came with Valencia, where he won the Double in 2002-2003 season.  For the national team, he had 69 caps.  He was the starter at European Championship in 2008 where Spain won its first major trophy since 1964. He also played at Euro 2004 and two World Cup Finals.

LB: Juan Ramon (Spain)

He is one of the most important figures in the history of Valencia CF, playing with the club for 13 seasons as an undisputed starter and being its captain for several years, and under his leadership, Valencia won three La Ligas (1941–42, 1943–44, and 1946–47), two Copa del Rey titles (1941 and 1949), and one Copa Eva Duarte in 1949, with the image of him collecting trophies throughout the 1940s iconically symbolizing his significance in the club.  he was capped twice.

LB: Amedeo Carboni (Italy)
Amedeo Carboni played for a number of Italian clubs before joining Roma in 1990. He stayed there for 7 seasons mainly as a starter before he went to Valencia in 1997.  With Valencia, his team made it to the Champions' League Finals twice and won the UEFA Cup/League Double in 2003/2004.  He played 9 seasons with them.  He represented Italy at the Euro 1996, where he earned two of his 18 caps for Italy. 

Amedeo Carboni

DM: Antonio Puchades (Spain)
From 1949 to 1958, Antonio Puchades played for his hometown Valencia, his only club. He won the only league title in his debut season, but he only played 4 games that season.  For Spain, he received 23 caps between 1949 and 1954, and went to the 1950 World Cup Finals, starting every game. Spain finished 4th in Brazil. He was born in 1925.

CM: Ruben Baraja (Spain) 
Baraja started his career with Real Valladolid and moved to Atletico Madrid.  Atletico Madrid relegated after the 1999-2000 season which allowed him to join Valencia and his career took off.  Forming a midfield with David Albelda, Valencia won two La Liga titles and the 2004 UEFA Cup.  He was also a part of the losing side at the Champions' league Final in 2001.  He earned 43 caps.  he played in WC 2002 and Euro 2004.

DM/CM: David Albelda (Spain) 
Except for two loan spells, David Albelda played his entire career with Valencia.  He was the heart and soul of the team that won two legaue title, an UEFA Cup and two runnerup medals at the Champions' league.  He was known for his midfield partnership with Ruben Baraja. He also served as their captain from 2001.  He was capped 51 times for Spain. He went to two World Cup Finals and a single European Championship.  He narrowly missed the European Championship in 2008, where Spain won their first major trophy since 1964.

David Albelda

CM: Jose Claramunt (Spain)
From 1966 to 1978, Jose "Paco" Claramunt played for his only club, Valencia.  He won the league title in the 1970-71 season, but also lost three Copa del Rey Finals in row during the early 1970's.  He earned 23 caps, six of which as the captain, but he never played in any major international tournament. His brother Enrique also played for Valencia at the same time.  His hometown club UD Puçol's ground was named Estadio José Claramunt in his honour.

RW: Epi (Spain)
Epi started with Real Sociedad. From 1940 to 1949, Epi played with Valencia, where he was known for playing with Asensi, Amadeo, Mundo and Gorostiza., where Valencia dominated the decade.  Later, he played with Real Sociedad between 1949 and 1955.  At the international level, he made his debut in 1941 against Portugal, where he would gain 15 caps between 1941 and 1949.

LW: Vicente Rodriguez (Spain)
Vicente moved to Valencia from Levante in 2000.  He was a part of the great team that won two League titles and the 2004 UEFA Cup. At his peak, he was among the best wingers in the world, but his injuries limited his career.  He later played with Brighton & Hove Albion in England at the end of his career. For the national team, he only managed 38 caps between 2002 and 2005. He only made it to Euro 2004.

AM: Fernando Gomez Colomer (Spain)

Better known as Fernando, he has the appearance record and 4th highest scorer for Valencia. He made his professional debut wuth them as a 18 years old. He was voted the best player in La Liga for 1988 and 1989.  He also played for English First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of his career for a single season. He played 8 times for Spain.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 for Spain, making a single appearance in the Finals against South Korea.

Fernando

AM/RM: Gaizka Mendieta (Spain)
Gaizka Mendieta was a big star while playing for Valencia between 1993 and 2001.  He led them to back-to-back Champions' League Final in 2000 and 2001.  He moved to Lazio in 2001, but he failed to find his form.  Then, he played one season with Barcelona, where the club only finished 6th at the league.  He would also play with Middesbrough FC. He earned 40 caps. He went to Euro 2000 and the World Cup Finals in 2002.

AM/LM: David Silva (Spain)
David Silva became a starter at Valencia in 2006 which forced Palbo Aimar to leave the club.  In 2010, he joined Manchester City helping the club to win their first Preimership in over 40 years. For Spain, he had over 120 caps from 2006 onward.  He was a key player throughout the period as Spain won the "triple crown": two European Championship and a World Cup.  He also represented Spain at every major tournament from 2008 onward.

David Silva

AM: Pablo Aimar (Argentina)
Aimar started his senior career at River Plate in 1996.  From 2001 to 2006, he starred for Valencia, helping the club to reach the 2001 Champions' League.  Then, he played Real Zaragoza for two seasons before joining Benfica. He played for them between 2008 and 2013.  For Argentina, he earned 52 caps. He represented Argentina at the 1999 and 2007 editions of the Copa América, at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, and at the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup.

FW: Mario Kempes (Argentina)
Mario Kempes was the hero of Argentina's 1978 World Cup victory.  He was the Golden Boot and Golden Ball winner in that Finals. He was also the South American Footballer of the Year: 1978. He also went to the World Cup Finals in 1974 and 1982. He played for many clubs in his career.  Before his European career began, he played with Rosario Centrel.  In 1976, he moved to Valencia.  With Valencia, he was the league's top scorer twice, winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 1980.

Mario Kempes

ST: Waldo Machado (Brazil)
Waldo was best known for his time at Fluminense, being top scorer in the former club's history by scoring 314 goals in 401 matches.In 1961, he joined Valencia, winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1962 and 1963. He won the Pichochi Trophy in 1967. He also played one season with Hércules CF.  He was capped 5 times.

ST: Claudio Lopez (Argentina)
Claudio Lopez started with Racing Club and started his European career with Valencia. He helped the club to reach the Final of the Champions' league in 2000. In 2004, Lazio paid 35 million for him, but injuries limited his career there.  He also played for America in Mexico, Kansas City Wizards and Colorado Rapids in MLS.  He earned 55 caps for Argentina.  He played in both 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals.

ST: David Villa (Spain)
David Villa is the all-time leading scorer for Spain.  He was known for a part of the Golden Generation for Spain, where Spain won three straight international titles: Euro 2008, the World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012. He was the Golden Boot winner at Euro 2008 and the Silver boot in the 2010 World Cup Finals.  He was best remembered for his club career with Valencia. He also played for Barcelona, Seville and New York City FC.

ST: Mundo (Spain)
Edmundo Suárez Trabanco was known as Mundo.  He is the highest scorer in Valencia's history and remained one of the top scorers in La Liga's history.  He started his career with Athletic Bilbao, playing a single game before the Spanish Civil War cut short his stay.  He played for Valencia after the War between 1939 and 1950.  He was capped 3 times between 1941 and 1942.  As of 2009, he was one of the Top 10 all-time goal scorers in the Spanish La Liga, with 195 goals during 231 appearances.

Mundo

Honorable Mention

José Luis Manzanedo (Spain), José Manuel Ochotorena (Spain), Andoni Zubizarreta (Spain), Giorgi Mamardashvili (Georgia), Pep Balaguer (Spain), Neto (Brazil), Diego Alves (Brazil), Paco Camarasa (Spain), José Carrete (Spain), Raul Albiol (Spain), Juan Carlos Díaz Quincoces (Spain), Francisco José Camarasa (Spain), Jose Gaya (Spain), Miroslav Djukic (Yugoslavia), Mauricio Pellegrino (Argentina), Manuel Mestre (Spain), Juan Sol (Spain), Bernardino Pasieguito (Spain), Rainer Bonhof (Germany), Daniel Parejo (Spain), Juan Mata (Spain), Gerald Lopez (Spain), Pablo Aimar (Argentina), Joaquin (Spain), Miguel Angel Angulo (Spain), Vicente Segui (Spain), Adrian Llie (Romania), John Carew (Norway), Predrag Mijatović (Yugoslavia/Montenegro), Vicente Asensi (Spain), Kurt Jara (Austria), Johnny Rep (Netherlands), Lyuboslav Penev (Bulgaria), Vicente Guillot (Spain), Paquito (Spain),, Eloy (Spain), Lyuboslav Penev (Bulgaria), Manuel Badenes (Spain), Guillermo Gorostiza (Spain)

Squad Explanation   

-- The original team was cteatyed in 2016.  I redid it in October, 2024.

-- In 1980, Valencia won the Cup Winners' Cup, their first major trophy in Europe. I selected Ricardo Penella Arias, Miguel Tendillo and Mario Kempes from that team.

-- From 1999 up until the end of the 2004 season, Valencia had one of their most successful periods in the club's history. With a total of two La Liga titles, one UEFA Cup, one Copa del Rey, and one UEFA Super Cup in those six years. That generation had the best record in Europe.  The following players I selected came from that period: Santiago Canizares, Gaizka Mendieta, Ruben Baraja, David Albelda, Claudio Lopez, Roberto Ayala, Amedeo Carboni, Vicente Rodriguez and Carlos Marchena.  Both David Silva and David Villa came up in the mid-2000's. They just missed this generation, but they won Copa del Rey in the 2007-2008 season.

UEFA Cup winner 2004

-- In 2019, Marca created an ideal Best XI for Valencia for their centenary celebration. Their lineup was as followed: Santiago Canizares, Ricardo Aries, Roberto Ayala, Quincoces, Ruben Baraja, David Albelda, Jose Claramunt, Antonio Puchades, Fernando, Mario Kempes and Mundo.  The newspaper also held a fan poll to determine the greatest All-Time team as voted by fans.  The following players emerged as the top choices: Santiago Canizares, Quique Flores, Mauricio Pellegrino, Roberto Ayala, Amedeo Carboni,

David Albelda, Gaizka Mendieta, Pablo Aimar, David Silva, David Villa and Mario Kempes.

-- In 2024, ESdiario ranked the top 10 players for Valencia in the following order: 1) Mario Kempes, 2) Antonio Puchades, 3) Mundo, 4) David Villa, 5) Rubén Baraja, 6) Waldo, 7) Gaizka Mendieta, 8) Santiago Cañizares, 9) Roberto Ayala and 10) Fernando. 

-- In the 1940's, Valencia had a great team.  Mundo formed the famous line with Vicente Asensi a alongside Epi, Amadeo and Guillermo Gorostiza in the 1940's.  They won La Liga three times during that decade (1941–42, 1943–44, 1946–47) and were runners-up twice, and claimed the Copa del Rey on two occasions (1941, 1948–49) from five appearances in the final.  I also included Ignacio Eizaguirre  and Juan Ramon from that generation.

1943-1944 League Champion

-- Vicente Rodriguez never reached full potential, but he was an important part of the great team of the early 2000's. He is the only footballed named "Vicente" on this team. However, Valencia had a few other great "Vicente". Vicente Guillot formed a letal partnership with Waldo in the 1960's, but I do not have space for him. Vicente Asensi played with Mundo, Epi, Amadeo and Guillermo Gorostiza in the 1940's. Vicente Segui is the top assist provider in the history of Valencia CF, having given 102 assists in 309 games with the club. Besides Vicente del Bosque, I could not think of another famous footballer named "Vicente".  He never played for Valencia.

-- This team also had three David's.  They were David Albelda, David Villa and David Silva. They played together with the club.  All three plahyers made the team.  Apparently, "David" was a popular name in Spain even through I don't usually associate that name with Spain.  However, besides those players in Valencia, David De Gea is the only other famous Spanish footballer named David I could think of.  And David Ospina is from Colombia. In England, they had David Beckham, David Seaman, David James and David Platt, but they never played for the same club.  

-- Seven of the players were foreigners.  Three of them came from Argentina.  Mario Kempes sometimes is considered to be Valencia's greatest player.  

Goalkeepers

-- Santiago Canizares is considered Valencia's greatest goalkeeper. He ranked among the best goalkeepers in the world for several seasons. In Valencia, he won two leagues, two cups, an Intertoto Cup, a UEFA Cup, and was twice a runner-up in the Champions League. 

-- Ignacio Eizaguirre was the first great Valencia CF goalkeeper for the club. He won three leagues and a Cup in the 1940's while over here. He is the only one who could endure a historical debate with Cañizares.  His father Augustin was also a goalkeeper who played for Real Sociedad.  However, he was not related to former goalkeeper Guillermo Eizaguirre who managed him at the 1950 World Cup Finals.  

Ignacio Eizaguirre

-- The third goalkeeping spot had many candidates. Over the course of eight seasons, José Luis Manzanedo lifted both the King's Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He also won the He also won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the 1978–79 season. José Manuel Ochotorena also won the award at Mestalla.   Andoni Zubizarreta spent 4 great years here, but his name was associated with Barcelona.  With Valencia, Abelardo González won a league title and a cup in the 1960s and 1970s. He won the league title in the 1970-71 season, conceding just 19 goals, which gave him one of the best ratios of goals conceded per game played (0.63) in the history of the league. For Spain, however, he was overshadowed by José Ángel Iribar.  In the Marca's fan poll, he finished third behind Canizares and Sempere. In the end, I chose José Manuel Sempere. He spent a very long career here, but was well-loved over here. In the 2019 Marca's fan poll, he was voted the second greatest goalkeeper ever after Santiago Canizares. He helped the club to win the UEFA Super Cup. 

-- At the time of writing (2024), Giorgi Mamardashvili was turning into a legendary goalkeeper in Valencia. Pep Balaguer, Neto Murara and Diego Alves were all goalkeepers of note over here.  Goyo Vergel was a largely forgotten goalkeeper who played her ein the 1950's.  he won the Ricardo Zamora award.

Defenders

-- Jocelyn Angloma, who reached the Champions' League Final twice with Valencia, would be my top pick for rightback. Juan Sol, part of a formidable defense alongside Aníbal, Jesús Martínez, and Antón, was instrumental in Valencia CF's 1970/71 La Liga title triumph. The Goal.com put him as one of Valencia's 25 greatest ever players. However, Quique Sánchez Flores dedicated 10 seasons to the club.  The Marca's fan poll selected him on their  All-Time Best XI.  I took him as my backup rightback.

-- Like Angloma on the right, Amedeo Carboni would be the undisputed selection on the left.  In 2016, I selected Fábio Aurélio (Brazil) as my backup, but during my review of the team in 2024, I took him off the team.  There were much more reowned leftbacks over here. At the time of writing, Jose Gaya is a one club player.  He already spent 12 seasons at the club, but he should still be behind Manuel Mestre or Juan Ramon Santiago.  Initially a left-sided defender used in roles similar to the modern winger, Manolo Mestre moved into central defense. But I decided I took Juan Ramon who also played as a central defender. He played with Valencia until he was 38 years old at a time when it was rare for a player to have long career.  He was also very loyal to the club. He was a left defender, but probably more suitable to a centerback position in the modern game.  As captain, he won many trophies with the club.

-- Roberto Ayala is considered one of Argentina's greatest centerbacks. Ricardo Penella Arias spent 15 seasons out his 16 professional seasons with Valencia.  He is second in appearance for the club. He also followed the team to the lower division. The pair was undisputed.

Ricardo Arias

-- Carlos Marchena's 359 appearances for Valencia solidify his position as one of the club's appearance leaders. He clinched two League titles, a Cup, a UEFA trophy, and a Super Cup during his successful tenure in Valencia.

-- Marca named Quincoces II as the starting center defender on their All-Time Best XI.  He made his debut with Valencia when his uncle Jacinto Quincoces was the head coach at the club. Nicolás Otamendi had a significant impact in his single season, despite his short tenure here.  He was named in the La Liga Team of the Year.  In contrast, Paco Camarasa was one club player.  Juan Ramon, a pivotal figure in Valencia CF's history, spent 13 seasons with the team, becoming one of its most decorated players. I selected him as one of my fullbacks. His defensive partner was Alvaro Perez who had a significant place with the club. Of course, there were also Mauricio Pellegrino. However, Miguel Tendillo edged out all of them for the last centerback spot.  He was the captain of their Cup Winners' Cup victory in 1980. 

Midfielders/Wingers

--  ESdiario ranked Antonio Puchades as Valencia's second greatest player.  He was a one club player.  Rubén Baraja and David Albelda forged a formidable midfield partnership in Valencia CF's history, playing a major role in a squad that was crowned La Liga champions in 2002 and 2004. Additionally, they contributed significantly to the team's triumph in the 2004 UEFA Cup, solidifying their legacy as key figures in Valencia CF's finest moments. Their combined tenure of 25 seasons and 900 appearances remains a cherished memory among fans.  I have to take both of them together as a unit.  

-- Rainer Bonhof contributed to Valencia's victory at the 1980 Cup Winners' Cup.  He also had a good international reputation, but he only spent two seasons in Valencia.  So, I went for Jose Claramunt who could play many positions.  His best position was number "6".  Marca selected him along with Antonio Puchades on their Valencia All-Time Best XI.  

-- Gaizka Mendieta was a big star while playing for Valencia between 1993 and 2001.  He led them to back-to-back Champions' League Final in 2000 and 2001.  Fernando was another disputed choice as the number 10 on this team.   He spent 15 seasons with the club, winning Don Balón’s Best Spanish Player Award for the 1988–89 season.  He was the 4th leading scorer for the club as an attack midfielder. He also leads the club in appearance.  Pablo Aimar was at one point among the best player in La Liga while playing for Valencia.  Many people ranked him as a Top 10 greatest ever player for Valencia. In the 2003-2004 season, he was a key player for Valencia as they won the Double. Then, I also selected David Silva.  In real life, the emerge of David Silva also sent Pablo Aimar away from the club.  He also became one of the best midfielders of his time.  

Gaizka Mendieta

--Miguel Ángel Angulo could play in many position, and was highly rated by Goal.com. Pasieguito formed a mythical midfield in Valencia with Antonio Puchades. He was the creative force of the duo.  However, they were left off because I already had Pablo Aimar, David Silva, Gaizka Mendieta and Fernando.  Juan Mata was also left off the team.

-- I took Epi because I needed a right winger.  He scored a total of 105 goals and added 102 assists in 256 matches in official competition, making him the tenth best scorer and second highest assist-giver in the history of Valencia CF, only behind Vicente Seguí. Vicente Segui who played on the left wing lost out to his namesake Vicente Rodriguez.  Injuries kept Vicente Rodriguez from reaching potential.  However, in his peak, he was one of the best left wingers in the world.   

Forwards

 -- Mundo, Waldo and Mario Kempes stand out as some of the top scorers in the history of the club. Mundo holds the title of Valencia's all-time leading scorer. Following closely behind Mundo is Waldo, who ranks as Valencia's second highest leading scorer. Mario Kempes, securing the third spot.  Mundo was the first player from Valencia to finish as the top scorer in the league.

-- Waldo wore the club's shirt for 9 seasons, during which he scored 160 goals in official matches.  In his first season, he scored 4 goals in a match against Barcelona. Mario Kempes was rated as Valencia's greatest ever player by many.  At Mestalla, Kempes won the Copa del Rey, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup as well as two consecutive Pichichis, scoring 24 and 28 goals in the 1976–77 and 1977–78 season.  In 1978, he also won the World Cup as the top scorer of the tournament.

-- Of course, I also selected David Villa who was a top striker in Spain during his prime.   He clinched the Spanish Player of the Year award in the seasons 2005-06 and was honored with the Zarra Trophy in the years 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09, and 2009-10.  He also became world-renowned by finishing as the top scorer at Euro 2008.

David Silva

-- Claudio Lopez played in one of the most important eras for Valencia. I rated his career here higher than that of Adrian Llie and John Carew.

-- Faas Wilkes (Netherlands) was the first foreign player who became a star for the club.  He was also one of the first Dutch footballer to be a star playing outside of the Netherlands.  In his first season at Valencia he scored 18 goals in 29 games.  However, in the remaining seasons his performance declined due to health issues.  

-- Predrag Mijatović won the Spanish Player of the Year while playing for Valencia, but he did not stay long enough. So he only earned Honorable Mention.

-- I also did have a spot for Manuel Badenes who averaged almost a goal a game. In his eight seasons with Valencia, Vicente Guillot was Waldo's striker partner.  The fans of Waldo was known as the waldistas and his supporters was known as guillotistas. I also looked into Guillermo Gorostiza.

Formation 
I reunited Baraja and Albelda. I started the biggest namses at the center defense.