Barca legend Victor Valdes joins Real Avila as new head coach

Legendary Barcelona goalkeeper, Victor Valdes has been named the new manager of Spanish fourth division side Real Avila, marking a fresh chapter in his coaching career.

This Sunday, Valdes, 42, will debut on the bench at the Adolfo Suarez Stadium against Compostela, and will end the season the week after, with a huge game against Pontevedra.

Victor Valdes has signed a contract that runs through the end of next season, and many are excited about how he fares in the remaining fixtures this term.

Now, Real Avila sits in fourth place with 49 points, only a point clear of seventh-placed Fabril. Reports indicate that only clubs finishing between second and fifth qualify for the playoffs to the third tier, making the final two rounds really huge for Valdes as well as the club.

Valdes began his coaching career with the youth ranks at ED Moratalaz, where he won two regional titles.

Back in 2019, he shortly returned to Barcelona to coach the youth team and later managed UA Horta, a Catalan lower league side.

Then in 2021, he also worked as a goalkeeping coach with the Blaugrana. As a player, Valdes’ career at FC Barcelona was legendary. There, he made 387 La Liga appearances and won 21 major trophies, including three Champions League titles and six Spanish league trophies.

He also had brief stints at Manchester United, Standard Liege, and Middlesbrough. With the Spanish national team, he was part of the squad that won the 2010 World Cup as well as Euro 2012.

Now, Valdes has got to on prove himself on the sidelines and will be aiming to guide Real Avila to an ambitious promotion run.