Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama

 

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (Born On Septeber 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, Colombia) is the greatest Colombian football player in the history of the South American country. Valderrama, specially known by his fluffy blonde afro hair and his familiar nickname, "El Pibe" (child in spanish), was one of the best football player not olny in South America, also one of the best player who ever played the game in the world. He was chosen twice for the "South American player of the year" in 1987 & again in 1993, led his country to play in three World Cup tournaments (1990, 1994, 1998), played in five Copa America tournaments (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995), led Atletico Junior Barranquilla to win the Colombian championship twice (1993, 1995), won the French cup with his club, Montpellier, in 1990 and hold the assists record in the MLS so far, 114[1] assists.

 

 

 

Carlos, son of "Jaricho" Valderrama and Justa Palacio, was born on Spetember 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, small town in Barranquilla's suburbs. Valderrama family known in Colombia as the royalty family of football when "Jaricho" himself was a good player in the 60's, also Carlos's uncle, Alex,"Didi" Valderrama and Carlos's brother, Alan and Ronald. After school, Carlos was play at the sand play ground of Pescaito in Santa Marta, the playground which "responsible" for many Colombian talents. His father and his coach at Union Magdalena kept cheer him to play football and Carlos became a huge star inside and outside the field, the greatest Colombian football player of all-times, the symbol of the Colombian football.

 

started to play professional football with his favourite club, Union Magdalena de Santa Marta in 1981. after two years at Union, Valderrama moved to one of the best Colombian clubs, Millonarios de Bogota and from Bogota to another big club, Deportivo de Cali, where he co-operated with Bernardo redin, his future teammate in the national team. Deportivo finished in second position two years in a raw, 1985 & 1986, when America Cali had been crowned as champion. Carlos's next stop was Europe when he joined French club, Montpellier. With Montpellier, an avrage French club, Valderrama achieved the French cup in 1990 and during that year, the team also surprised Europe when they had been eliminated only at UEFA cup quarter final. After two years, Valderrama joined his friends, Rene Higuita and Leonel Alvarez at the Spanish club, Real Valladolid, when the coach was Fracisco Maturana, Colombia's national team at that time. unfortunatlly, all 4 of them couldn't succee in one of the best leagues in the world and after one year only returned to Colombia. In my opinion, I have no doubts that these players were a head of their time, they didn't get the recognition  that they deserved.

What people do remember from Valderrama's career in Spain is the "toque-toque" of Michel. During a game of Valladolid with Real Madrid, one of Real Madrid's greatest players, Michel, decided to "check" Valderrama's testicles while both of the players waiting for a corner kick.

 

  

When returned to Colombia, join in 1992 to Independiente de Medellin and after one year joined Union Magdalena's biggest rival, Junior Barranquilla. Played until 1996 in Junior and had the best time in his career with this team and with other players like Ivan valenciano, Alexis Mendoza and Oswaldo Mackenzie, led junior to win the championships in 1993 and 1995. Also manage to bring Junior to the Copa Libertadores 1994 semi final but the team couldn't handle with paraguayan keeper, Jose Luis Chilavert and the team lost to Velez Sarsfield.

 

In 1996, the new American league was founded and Valderrama was of it's biggest stars at first. Players like Valderrama, Leonel Alvarez, Mexican Jorge Campos, most of United States National Team players and big Italian star  Roberto Donadoni made an interesting league. Valderrama had been chosen to play in Tampa Bay Mutiny and after two years moved to the expention team, Miami Fusion in 1998. Valderrama also was the "man of the match" during the All Stars game between the East and West in 1996 and 1997. In 1998, played one year in Miami and in 1999 the Colombian returned again to Tampa Bay, but couldn't carry them to win the MLS champion. He had some problems in tampa so he had been traded to Colorado Rapids who was more then happy to get a star like El Pibe. Valderrama played for the Rapids until 2004, crossing the 100 assists barrier. Valderrama decided to hang his shoes at the age of 43 after professional career of  22 years.

 

 Valderrama with Diego Maradona.

 

Most of his world recognition, Valderrama received because of his performances with the uniform of the  Colombian National Team. He started to play in the national team in 1985 but was dicovered in the Copa America of 1987, where he was the grand discovery, before eventually been chosen for the "South America player of the year" couple months later. He led Colombia as captain to win host Argentina 2:1 in Buenos Aires for the first time and Colombia finished the tournament in third place.

Played also in the Copa America of 1989 which Colombia couldn't qualify beyond first round, played in the Copa America 1991 where Colombia finished fourth and In the Copa America tournaments of 1993 and 1995 he led the national team to finish in third place again.

Valderrama also participated in three World Cup tournaments, Italy 1990, USA 1994 and France 1998, qualified with Colombia for the second round in 1990 before losing to Cameroon. Valderrama also scored a wonderful 20 meters goal in the 1990 opening match of Colombia vs. United Arab Emirates, where the South Americans won 2:0. In the last group match vs. West Germany, when Colombia was down 1:0, Valderrama passed one of the brilliant passes I've ever see to Fredy Rincon, who equalised and gave Colombia the ticket for the last 16.

Colombia came to the World Cup in 1994 as one of the favourites, but the bad news was when Valderrama injured badly in a friendly match and there was major concern that Carlos will miss the tournament. At the end he was fit to play, but Colombia was eliminated surprisely in the first round.

In the qualifying games for France 1998, Valderrama scored 3 goals and hepled the national team to qualify for the 3rd time in a raw. A month before the World Cup opening match, again concern regarding Valderrama's participation. The French IRS didn't want to let "El Pibe" to enter the country because of some payment that Valderrama needed to complete from the time that he played in Montpellier. Valderrama paid and could play in France, but Colombia was eliminated again after the first round. The last game vs. England, where Colombia lost 2:0, was also Pibe's last game after 111 caps in the natoinal team from 1985 to 1998 and 11 goals[2].

 

Carlos wasn't a player who scored many goals, kick strongly, or run fast on the field, yet he is consider as one of the best football players of all times. Why is that?

In my own opinion, Carlos for me is the greatest player of all times, more then Pele or Maradona. I know that many people may not agree with me, but I'm sure that if Valderrama was a Brazilian or Argentine, he would succee much more in Europe and might even won a world cup when he was surrounded by 10 more superstars which probably would help him. He plays in an average plus natoinal team, not in the same level as Brazil, Argentina, Italy or France. But Valderrama for me was the reason to come and watch football. It doesn't matter which team the fans prefer, they always enjoied to see Carlos,  "artist of passes" on the field. To see his absolute touch with the ball, exactly like a magician, his amazing ball control, which always seems like someone glued the ball to his feet, the best passer of all times in my opinion, who can find his teammates from any part of the field even when he didn't see them. He was the heart of his teams, the maestro who orginized them, the undisputed landlord on the field. He took an average national team from the late 80's and made them one of the best in the world and one that everyone respect now. He was chosen for the "player of the century" in Colombia when he received more then 70% of the votes.

Carlos was the player who made me, a 10-year-old boy from Israel in 1990,  one of the biggest fans of Colombia and I thank god for giving me the opportunity to see this amazing player in action.

 

Valderrama's farewell game was on Febuary 1, 2004 in front of 56,000 people at the Roberto Melendez stadium in Barranquilla, the stadium that Valderrama loved so much as a player of Junior and as a national team player who played there so many times. Almost all of Carlos's friends from Colombia and from all South America  were there. His teammates Leonel Alvarez, Faustino Asprilla, Ivan Valenciano, Wilson Perez, Carlos Hoyos, Adolfo Valencia, Colombian singer, Carlos Vives and more. From South America came Paraguayan keeper, Luis Chilavert; Chile's forward, Ivan Zamorano; Ecuador midfielder, Alex Aguinaga; Uruguay forward, Enzo Francescoli and the Argentine legend, Diego Maradona. The game itself ended in a 3:3 draw, when Valderrama scored one of them, but the highlight was when Valderrama was substituted by his son, Alan, wore the national team shirt and start to walk towards the fans with 2 shirts in his hands: one of Union Magdalena, his childhood favourite team and one of Junior Barranquilla, the team where he conceived his two Colombian championships. It was very emotional moment, to see this amazing player ending a 22-years career when he receive all the respect and love that he deserve from the crowd and from his teammates.

 

                

 

 

Valderrama announced several times that his biggest dream is to coach one day the national team and basically that's what he want to do when he'll retire: to coach. Unfortunatlly, it didn't go so well with his only team so far and meanwhile Valderrama took some time out from coaching. In the Clausura championship 2007, Valderrama became the general manager of Junior Barranquilla and started to work with coach Luis Grau. Unfortunatlly, thigs didn't go well and Pibe said that if Junior won't qualify for the playoff he will resign. Junior didn't qualify, but the sad ending came in the home game vs. America Cali. International referee, Oscar Julian Ruiz, whistled a penalty for America, a call which upset Valderrama so much until he started to shout and curse the referee. When Ruiz decided to send him off, Carlos pulled out a 50,000 peso bill and waved in front of the referee's face like saying to him:"How much money did you get to call this penalty?". The Dimayor of course punished Carlos and he decided to take a vacation, considering if he'll will return to coach.