Raúl Albiol returns to Italy at 40: comes the official announcement

The soccer market is closed but for the released remains active the possibility of settling in a new club even in the remaining months of the’year: and just so did Raúl Albiol, who two days before his fortieth birthday has definitively accepted the’offer of Pisa, thus returning to tread the fields of Serie A six years after the conclusion of his long experience at Napoli.

“Pisa Sporting Club is pleased to announce the outright acquisition of the right to the sports performance of the footballer Raúl Albiol, defender class 1985” reads the official website of the Nerazzurri club, back this’year in the top division after an absence of more than 30 years and already the protagonist of good performances despite the first two matches, against Atalanta and Roma, have brought only one point in the standings.

Born in Vilamarxant, in the Valencian Autonomous Community, on Sept. 4, 1985, Raúl Albiol began his senior career in the 2002-2003 football year with Valencia’s B team in the third division. He landed in the first team the following season, then experienced a season on loan at Getafe before returning to Valencia from 2005 to 2009.

From 2009 to 2013 he then played for Real Madrid, going on to Napoli in 2013-2014 and remaining in the shadow of Vesuvius until the summer of 2019. Since then he wore the Villarreal jersey until his contract expired last June 30. In his palmarès, Albiol boasts at club level a La Liga, two Spanish Cups and a Spanish Super Cup, an Italian Cup and an Italian Super Cup, two UEFA/Europa League Cups and a European Super Cup. With Spain’s national team he won the European Championships in 2008 and 2012 and the World Cup in 2010.