Raul Albiol will play his 500th top flight match on Sunday when Villarreal play Espanyol according to Diario AS. The centre-back’s career has seen him represent Valencia, Getafe, Real Madrid, Napoli and the Yellow Submarine. He’s enjoyed a fine career.
Albiol has played 319 games in La Liga and 180 in Serie A spread over 12 seasons in Spain and six in Italy. It’s Napoli with whom he’s played the most games overall, while in Spain the club he’s played the most games for is Valencia.
And he’s still absolutely pivotal to Unai Emery’s team at La Ceramica. The defender has formed a tight relationship at the heart of Villarreal’s backline beside Pau Torres and relates superbly to sitting midfielder Dani Parejo just ahead of them.
He was superb against Juventus in their Champions League last 16 first leg clash on Tuesday evening, marshalling the Italian club’s big-money signing Dusan Vlahovic with ease after the Serbian fired the visitors into a first-minute lead.
Albiol’s contract with the Yellow Submarine runs until the summer of 2023 and it’s understood he’s content with life at the club. The 36-year-old has earned 58 caps for the Spanish national team.
