Valencia are currently struggling in La Liga. Although they beat Barcelona in a tight contest at the Nou Camp, Los Che, as a club, are not what they used to be. They are the most successful team in Spain after Real Madrid and Barcelona though their current state does not show it.
The Spanish club have had an impressive record through the years, having won La Liga six times and reaching seven European finals, winning four of them.
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In what was a successful spell in the mid-2000s under Rafa Benitez, the club also won a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Super Cup in 2004. Valencia by the mid-2000s had built a reputation as a formidable club in Spain and Europe.
Also read: Valencia celebrate Barcelona win by imitating infamous Real Madrid dressing room picture
Under Rafa Benitez, it looked like the club had built themselves a solid platform for future domestic and European success. In a tumultuous last decade for the club, managers were hired and fired due to disagreements with the administration.The club was soon struck by debt issues which forced them into selling their best players.
Valencia have developed a reputation as a feeder club in Europe, but it is felt that the club could have achieved a lot more. We take a look at the team that could have been had the club not sold its best players in the last 10 years.
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Goalkeeper
Miguel Angel Moya was signed by Valencia in June 2009 for €5 million from fellow Spanish club Mallorca. Interestingly, in his first appearance for the club, he played as a central midfielder in a preseason game against Manchester United. He made his La Liga debut in a 2-0 win at home to Sevilla.
Moya lost his place in the team as he made a few costly errors which cost them points. He was loaned out to Getafe CF in 2011 as part of a deal involving defensive midfielder Dani Parejo where he got many more minutes as a starter, only missing four games.
He joined La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in 2014 on a three-year contract as a replacement for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who left for Chelsea. He started most games in his first season until he got injured and lost his place to Jan Oblak.
Moya won the UEFA Super Cup in his debut season with Atletico while Valencia have not won any silverware since their last Copa del Rey in 2008.
Defence
In what would be a solid defence at Valencia, academy graduates Juan Bernat and Jordi Alba feature in the full-back slots. Jordi Alba, the current Barcelona full-back finished his development at Valencia after being released by Barcelona in 2005.
Jordi Alba played at Valencia for three impressive seasons, making 110 appearances and scoring 6 goals in all competitions.
Bought by Barcelona in 2012, Jordi Alba has gone on to win the treble. The 27-year-old speedster is now regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world.
Juan Bernat, another Valencia graduate, features at right-back. Although a left-back by trade, he does not replace Jordi Alba. He left to play under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich on a five-year contract where he won the Bundesliga title in the 2014-2015 season.
The centre-back pairing features Nicolas Otamendi and Raul Albiol. Bought from FC Porto in 2014 for €12 million, Otamendi was brilliant for Valencia in La Liga.
Otamendi only spent one season at Los Che where his dominating performances convinced Manuel Pellegrini to buy him for £32 million. He has now established himself in the Manchester City side alongside Vincent Kompany.
Raul Albiol played for Valencia from 2004 to 2009. Though he was loaned out to Getafe for the 2004-2005 season, he returned to Valencia the following season and was a mainstay in their defence, helping Los Che win the Copa del Rey in the 2007-2008 season.
Albiol transferred to Real Madrid in 2009 where he was instrumental in winning the La Liga and Copa del Rey. The 30-year-old centre-back now plays for Napoli where he won the Coppa Italia in the 2013-2014 season.
Midfield
Argentinian Ever Banega and Mexico’s Andres Guardado would feature in what would an ideal mix of silk and steel in midfield for Valencia.
Ever Banega is a central midfielder known for his dribbling and passing ability. While most often deployed as an attacking midfielder, he also possesses the tactical nous required to play as a defensive midfielder. Banega left Valencia in 2014 to join outgoing Valencia manager Unai Emery at Sevilla.
Complimenting the skills of Ever Banega is Andres Guardado.The Mexican, known for his ball rotation and retention currently plays for Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. He went to PSV on loan in 2014 and won the league with them becoming a cult hero in the process.
The switch was made permanent in the 2015 summer transfer market. He also won the Johan Cruyff Shield with PSV this season.
Valencia’s greatest assets lay in the attacking midfield department. They had a wealth of riches coming through; players they were forced to sell due to the club being burdened by debt. The list starts with mercurial attacking midfielder David Silva who now plays for Manchester City.
David Silva was a product of the Valencia youth academy and joined the first team in the 2005-2006 season. His passing and silky skills have earned him the nickname “Merlin”. The playmaker won the Copa del Rey with La Liga side before leaving for Manchester City in 2010 for a reported fee of £24 million.
He has won two Premier League titles and one FA Cup with the Manchester club.
This Valencia eleven would feature Juan Mata in the right attacking midfield slot. A product of the Real Madrid youth setup, Mata joined Valencia in 2007. He made 174 appearances for the club, becoming an integral part of their midfield.
Mata left for Chelsea in August 2011 after scoring 46 goals at Valencia. He won the Champions League and FA Cup at Chelsea as the creative hub of the side. The Spaniard now plays under Louis van Gaal at Manchester United.
Mata and Silva once upon a time worked their magic together at Valencia, setting up goals for star forward David Villa.
Another Valencia academy graduate, Isco would line-up in the all-Spanish attacking midfield trident. Isco, who currently plays for Real Madrid was released after only 4 league matches for the first team. He joined Malaga where he won the Golden Boy Award beating Thibaut Courtois and Stephan El Shaarawy.
Isco is gifted with inch-perfect passing and dribbling ability. Playing a deeper role for Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, he won the La Decima, a record tenth Champions League title with them.
Attack
David Villa is Spain’s all-time top scorer with 59 goals in 97 appearances. He signed for Valencia for €12 million from Real Zaragoza and won the Copa del Rey in 2008. The all-time Spain top scorer hit his peak for Valencia in the 2008-2009 season with 31 goals in all competitions.
Villa joined Barcelona in May 2010 for a sum of €40 million. He won all possible trophies with the Spanish outfit. He then signed for Atletico Madrid where he won another La Liga title and now plays for MLS side New York City FC.
