| Carlos Marchena | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Carlos Marchena López | |
| Date of birth | 31 July 1979 | |
| Place of birth | Seville, Spain | |
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | |
| Playing position | Centre back, defensive midfielder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Valencia C.F. | |
| Number | 5 | |
| Youth career | ||
| Sevilla B | ||
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1997–2000 2000–2001 2001– |
Sevilla Benfica Valencia |
68 (1) 20 (2) 206 (6) |
| National team2 | ||
| 1999 1999–2001 2000 2002– |
Spain U20 Spain U21 Spain U23 Spain |
7 (0) 17 (0) 5 (0) 52 (2) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Carlos Marchena López (born 31 July 1979 in Seville) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for Valencia CF and the Spanish national football team, being a regular first-team choice for both squads.
Mainly a central defender with an aggressive approach, he can also pitch in as a defensive midfielder.
Contents |
Club career
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 their aging centre-back Miroslav Đukić. Marchena signed a four-year contract, which involved a swap-deal, with Zlatko Zahovič moving in the opposite direction. While Marchena took a while in his first season to impress (16 appearances), as Valencia clinched their first title in 30 years, he gradually became first-choice.
In the 2003-04 season, with Valencia capturing a 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 first-round match against Werder Bremen at the Mestalla stadium, he was also given his marching orders in the final minutes of the match, and Valencia was eliminated from the elite competition. Marchena remained a regular at both defensive positions.
During the Champions League match against Internazionale 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 Burdisso'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.[1]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. He would still collect 14 yellow cards and be sent off three times during the campaign.
International career
| Olympic medal record | ||
Competitor for  Spain |
||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Football | ||
| Silver | 2000 Sydney | Team Competition |
Marchena first appeared internationally for Spain 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 Olympic U-23 squad, and won 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 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Subsequently, he was part of the nation's squads at 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 picked 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 has remained a regular, often partnering with Puyol. He was called up for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup,[2]but was rested for the first match.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 June 2005 | Estadio Mestalla, Valencia, Spain |  Bosnia and Herzegovina |
1 – 1 | 1–1 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 26 June 2008 | Toumba Stadium, Thessaloniki, Greece |  Greece |
1 – 1 | 2–3 | International Friendly |
Honours
Valencia
Spain
- FIFA World Youth Championship: 1999
- UEFA European Football Championship: 2008
- Olympic Games: 2000 silver medal
- Euro 2008 Team of the tournament
References
External links
- BDFutbol profile
- National team data (Spanish)
- Carlos Marchena FIFA competition record
- FootballDatabase profile and statistics
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