Albert Riera

This article is about the former Spain international footballer. For another Spanish footballer, see Albert Riera (footballer, born 1983).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Riera and the second or maternal family name is Ortega.
Albert Riera

Riera before a game with Galatasaray
Personal information
Full name Albert Riera Ortega
Date of birth (1982-04-15) 15 April 1982
Place of birth Manacor, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Winger / Left back
Youth career
1999–2000 Mallorca
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2002 Mallorca B 54 (12)
2001–2003 Mallorca 46 (6)
2003–2005 Bordeaux 53 (4)
2005–2008 Espanyol 72 (8)
2006 → Manchester City (loan) 15 (1)
2008–2010 Liverpool 40 (3)
2010–2011 Olympiacos 26 (6)
2011–2014 Galatasaray 60 (3)
2014 Watford 8 (1)
2014 Udinese 0 (0)
2015 Mallorca 6 (0)
2015 Zavrč 12 (1)
2016 Koper 1 (0)
National team
2000–2001 Spain U18 11 (0)
2002–2003 Spain U21 15 (2)
2007–2009 Spain 16 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 June 2016.


Albert Riera Ortega (born 15 April 1982) is a Spanish footballer who plays mainly as a left winger but also as a left back.

He made a name for himself at Espanyol (where he won one Copa del Rey and reached one UEFA Cup final) and also played professionally in France, England, Greece, Turkey, Italy and Slovenia, notably spending three years with Galatasaray.

Riera gained 16 caps for Spain, representing the nation at the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Club career

Mallorca

Born in Manacor, Balearic Islands, Riera started his professional career with hometown's RCD Mallorca, but could only amass ten La Liga appearances in his first two seasons combined.

In the 2002–03 campaign, already an undisputed starter, he helped the local club to the conquest of the Copa del Rey,[1] and scored four league goals in 35 games.

Bordeaux

In the summer of 2003, Riera moved to FC Girondins de Bordeaux,[2] where he was a first-team regular for two years.

He made 66 competitive appearances for the Ligue 1 side, and netted nine times.

Espanyol

Riera returned to Spain in 2005, when he signed for RCD Espanyol.[3] In his first season he played only eight league matches, prompting a January 2006 loan move to Manchester City[4] where he was also unable to establish himself, scoring against Newcastle United in a 3–0 home win on 1 February.[5] He returned to Catalonia prior to 2006–07.

During that season, Espanyol reached the final of the UEFA Cup at Hampden Park, Glasgow, where they played fellow Spaniards Sevilla FC: Riera scored to level the game at 1–1, but his team eventually lost 1–3 on penalties.[6] At the end of the campaign, he extended his contract until 2011.[7]

Liverpool

Riera (left) in action for Liverpool.

On 1 September 2008 (transfer deadline day), Riera signed a four-year deal with Liverpool for a fee of £8 million, being given the number 11 shirt.[8] He made his Premier League debut on the 13th, playing 72 minutes of a 2–1 home win against Manchester United, and scored his first goal for the Reds as they beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 on 18 October,[9] adding another in the season's UEFA Champions League, in a 3–1 success at PSV Eindhoven.[10]

Riera netted Liverpool's first goal in 2009, and also scored in the season's FA Cup on the 3rd, against Preston North End.[11] Later during that season he scored against Aston Villa in a 5–0 home win on 22 March 2009, netting through a half-volley after Pepe Reina long goal kick.[12]

On 18 March 2010, Riera was suspended after comments made to the Spanish press regarding his first team opportunities and the approach of Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez. The player was quoted as saying: "He's never sorted out a situation with a player by talking with him."[13] He was transfer listed following the comments, with Russian clubs PFC CSKA Moscow and FC Spartak Moscow thought to be interested in a permanent move.[14] On the 23rd of that month it was announced that Liverpool had accepted a £6 million bid from CSKA for the player;[15] however, it appeared to be solely rumours, as the Russian capital side officially denied the interest –[16] additionally, the player's agent, Ángel Castells, confirmed that only Spartak had made a proposal.[17]

Olympiacos

On 23 July 2010, Riera joined Greek club Olympiacos F.C. on a four-year contract.[18] The deal was reported to be worth around €6 million (€4 million plus another potential €2 million in bonuses), with a salary of around €2.5 million per season; he became one of the most expensive transfers in the country's history, as he reunited with former Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde.[19]

Riera scored his first goal for Olympiacos against Kerkyra F.C. in a 2–0 home win, and appeared in more than 30 official games during the season as the Piraeus team won the national championship.

Galatasaray

Riera playing for Galatasaray against Ankaragücü (2012).

On 3 September 2011, Riera completed a €3 million move to Turkish giants Galatasaray SK, signing a four-year contract.[20] He scored his first goal in the Süper Lig on 25 January 2012 in a 4–0 home win against MKE Ankaragücü, and was an habitual first-choice in his first season as the Istanbul-based team won the national championship; he was also involved, however, in a punching session with teammate Felipe Melo just before the playoffs started.[21]

Following the arrival of prospect Nordin Amrabat for the 2012–13 campaign, Riera was reconverted by manager Fatih Terim into an offensive left back, mainly due to the lack of options in the position other than injury-prone Hakan Balta.[22] On 28 January 2014, he agreed to have his contract terminated for €750,000 and left the club.[23]

Later career

On 24 March 2014, Riera signed a pre-contract with Italian side Udinese Calcio, effective as of 1 July.[24] Three days later he joined Football League Championship's Watford, until the end of the season.[25]

Riera scored his first and only goal for Watford on 19 April 2014, in a 3–1 home win over Ipswich Town.[26] He had an extended run until late in the month, when he was sent off for two bookable offenses in a 1–3 loss at Chartlton Athletic after a high challenge on Diego Poyet.[27] After the match he was charged by The Football Association for improper conduct, having confronted the officials and having to be dragged away by his team-mates;[28] he was given a two-match ban although only one remained to end the campaign,[29] and he subsequently returned to Udinese.[30]

On 29 November 2014, Riera was sacked by Udinese for attending a poker tournament rather than reporting to play against A.C. Chievo Verona.[31]

On 5 March 2015 Riera returned to his first club Mallorca, after agreeing to a one-and-a-half year deal.[32] In May, he was subjected to disciplinary proceedings, after claiming he would not appear again for the team as long as Miquel Soler was the manager.[33]

On 11 September 2015, Slovenian sports newspaper Ekipa reported that Riera would sign a contract with NK Zavrč.[34] Three days later, he was officially presented.[35]

Riera terminated his contract on 22 January 2016,[36] but remained in the country as he joined FC Koper until June 2018 shortly after.[37]

International career

Riera made his debut for the Spanish national team on 13 October 2007 in an UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark, and scored from outside the box in a 3–1 away win.[38][39] However, he failed to make the final cut for the final stages, where the nation emerged victorious.

Riera was again called to the squad in October 2008, for two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, after Sevilla's Diego Capel withdrew with an injury, and played 11 minutes in a 3–0 win in Estonia. In the following year, on 1 April, he netted a last minute winner in Turkey (2–1).[40]

Manager Vicente del Bosque named Riera in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, and he played in four matches for the third-placed team. He was, however, overlooked for the World Cup squad in South Africa, as the national side was crowned champions.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 13 October 2007 NRGi Park, Aarhus, Denmark  Denmark 1–3 1–3 Euro 2008 qualifying
2. 1 April 2009 Ali Sami Yen, Istanbul, Turkey  Turkey 1–2 1–2 2010 World Cup qualification
3. 9 June 2009 Tofiq Bahramov, Baku, Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan 0–4 0–6 Friendly
4. 12 August 2009 Philip II Arena, Skopje, Macedonia  Macedonia 2–3 2–3 Friendly

Personal life

Riera's younger brother, Sito, is also a footballer. He too represented Espanyol, but only its B-side.[41]

Statistics

As of 7 June 2015.[42][43][44]

Club

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Mallorca B 1999–2000 71———71
2000–01 316———316
2001–02 160———160
Total 547———547
Mallorca 2000–01 2100——31
2001–02 7121—30132
2002–03 35450——404
Total 46671—30567
Bordeaux 2003–04 32220—105447
2004–05 21220—–232
Total 53440—105679
Espanyol 2005–06 80——30110
2006–07 2841020134448
2007–08 36430——394
Total 72840201649412
Manchester City (loan) 2005–06 15140——191
Total 15140——191
Liverpool 2008–09 28331—91405
2009–10 120001020150
Total 4033110111555
Olympiacos 2010–11 26620—00286
Total 26620—00286
Galatasaray 2011–12 3012000—321
2012–13 262000090352
2013–14 40410050131
Total 6036100140804
Watford 2013–14 81———81
Total 81———81
Udinese 2014–15 0000——00
Total 0000——00
Mallorca 2014–15 60———60
Total 60———60
Career total3803930330541046751

International

[45]

Spain
YearAppsGoals
200731
200840
200993
Total164

Honours

Club

Mallorca
Espanyol
Olympiacos
Galatasaray

Country

References

  1. ↑ "Eto'o pone Mallorca a brindar" [Eto'o has Mallorca toasting] (in Spanish). El País. 29 June 2003. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  2. ↑ Riera raring to go at Bordeaux; UEFA, 31 July 2003
  3. ↑ Riera wings into Espanyol; UEFA, 7 July 2005
  4. ↑ City tempt Riera to England; UEFA, 5 January 2006
  5. ↑ "Man City 3–0 Newcastle". BBC Sport. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  6. ↑ "Espanyol 2–2 Sevilla (Sevilla win 3–1 on penalties)". BBC Sport. 16 May 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  7. ↑ "Riera prolonga su contrato con el Espanyol hasta el 2011" [Riera extends his contract with Espanyol until 2011] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 23 August 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  8. ↑ 10 things you need to know about new Liverpool signing Albert Riera; Daily Mirror, 29 August 2008
  9. ↑ "Wigan 2–3 Liverpool". BBC Sport. 18 October 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  10. ↑ "PSV 1–3 Liverpool". BBC Sport. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  11. ↑ Preston 0–2 Liverpool; BBC Sport, 3 January 2009
  12. ↑ "Liverpool 5–0 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  13. ↑ "Albert Riera hits out at Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez". BBC Sport. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  14. ↑ Rafael Benitez banishes vocal Albert Riera; Times Online, 19 March 2010
  15. ↑ Hunter, Andy (24 March 2010). "Liverpool accept £6m offer from CSKA Moscow for Albert Riera". London: The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  16. ↑ "CSKA deny interest in Albert Riera". ESPN Soccernet. 25 March 2010. Archived from the original on 2 April 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  17. ↑ "Benítez 'subasta' a Riera" [Benítez 'auctions' Riera] (in Spanish). El País. 27 March 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
  18. ↑ "Liverpool winger Albert Riera completes Olympiakos move". BBC Sport. 23 July 2010. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  19. ↑ Scime, Adam (23 July 2010). "Official: Olympiacos sign Albert Riera from Liverpool". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  20. ↑ "Es oficial: El Galatasaray ficha a Albert Riera" [It's official: Galatasaray signs Albert Riera] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 3 September 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  21. ↑ "Melo-Riera brawl overshadows last week in the Super League". Hürriyet Daily News. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  22. ↑ ""Galatasaray fans win games"". Marca. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  23. ↑ "Riera, Amrabat leave Galatasaray". Soccer News. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  24. ↑ "Primo tassello per la prossima stagione: ha firmato Albert Riera Ortega" [First piece for next season: Albert Riera Ortega has signed] (in Italian). Udinese Calcio. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  25. ↑ "Watford sign former Liverpool and Spain winger Albert Riera on until the end of season". The Standard. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  26. ↑ "Watford 3–1 Ipswich". BBC Sport. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2014.
  27. ↑ "Match report: Charlton Athletic 3–1 Watford". Watford F.C. 29 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  28. ↑ "Watford winger Albert Riera faces FA misconduct charge over reaction to red card". Sky Sports. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  29. ↑ "Watford's Albert Riera handed additional one-match ban by the FA for his conduct following his red card against Charlton Athletic". Watford Observer. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  30. ↑ "Official: Released players confirmed". Watford F.C. 4 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  31. ↑ "Liverpool old boy Albert Riera sacked after skipping a match to play in POKER tournament". Daily Mirror. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  32. ↑ "Riera vuelve a casa" [Riera returns home] (in Spanish). RCD Mallorca. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  33. ↑ "El Mallorca abre expediente a Riera por "grave indisciplina"" [Mallorca starts disciplinary proceedings on Riera for "severe breach of discipline"] (in Spanish). Marca. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
  34. ↑ "Zavrc – Koper: Senzacija! Prihaja nekdanji spanski reprezentant" [Zavrc – Koper: Surprise! Former Spanish international arrives] (in Slovenian). Ekipa. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  35. ↑ "Riera v dresu Zavrča" [Riera in Zavrc's jersey] (in Slovenian). Ekipa. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  36. ↑ S.J. (22 January 2016). "Riera sporazumno zapušča Zavrč" [Riera is leaving Zavrc after mutual contract termination] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  37. ↑ Uredništvo (26 January 2016). "Rieri pogodba kar do leta 2018" [Riera signed until 2018] (in Slovenian). Nogomania. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  38. ↑ España sale del túnel tras su triunfo en Dinamarca (1–3) (Spain exits tunnel after win in Denmark (1–3)); 20 Minutos, 13 October 2007 (Spanish)
  39. ↑ Espanyol fly flag for Spain; UEFA.com, 15 October 2007
  40. ↑ Riera takes the wind out of Turkey's sails; UEFA.com, 1 April 2009
  41. ↑ Sito Riera: “Me gustaría jugar en el Mallorca” (Sito Riera: “I would like to play with Mallorca”); Fútbol Balear, 11 August 2010 (Spanish)
  42. ↑ "Riera". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  43. ↑ "Alberto Riera". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  44. ↑ "Albert Riera Ortega". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  45. ↑ "Albert Riera". European Football. Retrieved 6 November 2015.

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