FC Goa have completed their foreign signings for the new season with Spanish defender Marc Valiente penning a one-year contract with the club.
From Catalonia, Valiente joined FC Barcelona’s academy at the age of 10 and trained and played alongside Cesc Fàbregas, Lionel Messi and Gerard Piqué. He made his senior team debut for the club in the 2006-07 Copa del Rey and also turned up for FC Barcelona B in the third tier Segunda Division B that season. At international level, he represented Spain at U-19 and U-20 levels winning the U-19 European Championship in 2006.
Marc ended up making a total of two appearances for the senior FCB team in Copa del Rey and switched over to Sevilla FC in 2008 and spent a season with the Sevilla reserves in the 2009-10 Segunda Division B. That same season, he featured for the senior team in La Liga making a total of three appearances. He aslo won the Spanish Cup with Sevilla FC that year.
In 2010, Valiente moved to Real Valladolid in La Liga 2 – the club were relegated that season from the top tier. Marc spent the next five seasons at the club – three seasons in La Liga 2 and two seasons in La Liga.
The centre-back’s next transfer was to Israeli club Maccabi Haifa FC in 2015. He won the Israeli Cup with the club in his first season and spent a total of two seasons in the Israeli top tier. After leaving Haifa in 2017, he played for a season in the Jupiler Pro League (Belgian top tier) with KAS Eupen followed by a season in the Serbian Super Liga with FK Partizan Belgrade. He also won the Serbian Cup with Partizan.
Marc returned to Spain in 2019 and spent the last three seasons in La Liga 2 with Sporting Gijon – from where he joins FC Goa.
The 35-year-old 6’1″ defender has made a total of 437 club appearances over the course of his career. He managed to score 13 goals and assist 10.
Valiente has played with current FC Goa manager and former FC Goa player Carlos Pena at Real Valladolid helping the club win promotion to La Liga.
Carlos (Pena) was the biggest influence in my decision. He told me everything about his plan as a head coach and also about the club. I also had some chats with Alvaro (Vazquez), having shared the dressing room with both in the past. It was comforting to have him in my team as he is an amazing player and person.
I think we have to be ambitious and our aim is to be at the top. And I believe we have the squad to be so. I have followed the FC Goa style of football and I absolutely love it. To play this kind of attacking football, a defender has to be concentrating all the time, ready for a counterattack. I love to play this style of football.
Marc Valiente to FCG Media
With Edu Bedia retained, Marc joins new foreign arrivals Álvaro Vázquez, Fares Arnaout, Iker Guarrotxena and Noah Sadaoui at the club.
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