Mathieu Valbuena
The little bike who powered Marseille's midfield with explosive dribbling and tenacity.
Mathieu Valbuena is a French professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder for Olympique de Marseille from 2006 to 2014. Known for his pace, technical ability, and tenacious style of play, he was described by his former coach Didier Tholot as "an explosive player who is capable of quickly taking two opponents out of the game to create space, above all due to his dribbling skills." Due to his small stature, Valbuena is nicknamed le petit vélo, which translates to "the little bike."
- Role
- Attacking Midfielder
- Nationality
- French
- Key Achievement
- Ligue 1 Champion
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Valbuena began his professional career at Bordeaux but was let go after two seasons, reportedly because he struggled to "transform his game from that of a young player to that of a professional." He then played for amateur club Langon-Castets in the fifth division while working as a sports shop salesman. In 2004, he joined Libourne Saint-Seurin in the Championnat National. After a strong 2005–06 season where he scored nine goals and was named the league's Player of the Year, he signed with Ligue 1 club Marseille prior to the 2006–07 season. With Marseille, Valbuena played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time and, in the 2009–10 season, was part of the team that won the league and league cup double, as well as the Trophée des Champions.
In Their Own Story
On 18 September 2007, Valbuena made his UEFA Champions League debut against Turkish club Beşiktaş, appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 win. In the next group stage match against English club Liverpool at Anfield, Valbuena scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory. This was the first time a French club had ever won at Anfield. Later that season, on 26 January 2008, he scored two goals in Marseille's 6–1 win over Caen, with his first goal — scored from almost 40 metres out — voted the Goal of the Year by the Ligue de Football Professionnel.
Reader's Guide
Valbuena signed his first professional contract with Marseille on 9 June 2006, agreeing to a three-year deal and being assigned the number 28 shirt by manager Eric Gerets. He made his professional debut on 15 July 2006 in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. After struggling with an ankle injury, he made his league debut on 19 November 2006 against Valenciennes as a substitute in a 1–0 victory. On 19 May 2007, he scored his first professional goal in a 2–1 victory over Saint-Étienne, a game-winner that helped Marseille secure second place and a spot in the UEFA Champions League. Following Franck Ribéry's departure to Bayern Munich ahead of the 2007–08 season, Valbuena was inserted as his replacement. He acquired the nickname le petit vélo during this season. By late August 2007, he had become a starter, forming partnerships with Samir Nasri, Lorik Cana, and Benoît Cheyrou. He signed a contract extension in September 2007, committing to Marseille until June 2012. In the 2008–09 season, he became a regular starter, appearing in 31 league matches and scoring three goals. After the season, new manager Didier Deschamps declared Valbuena was not in his tactical plans and sought to place him on the transfer market, but club president Pape Diouf and several board members disagreed, stating Valbuena was "un-transferable."
Did You Know?
- Valbuena received over 50 stitches in one of his legs following a swimming accident at age nine.
- He worked as a sports shop salesman while playing for amateur club Langon-Castets in the fifth division.
- Valbuena scored the only goal in Marseille's 1–0 victory at Anfield against Liverpool in September 2007, the first time a French club had ever won there.
- His first goal in Marseille's 6–1 win over Caen on 26 January 2008 was scored from almost 40 metres out and was voted the Goal of the Year by the Ligue de Football Professionnel.
- Valbuena was named the Championnat National Player of the Year in the 2005–06 season after scoring nine goals for Libourne Saint-Seurin.