Rubén Baraja
|
Baraja as Elche manager in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rubén Baraja Vegas | ||
| Date of birth | 11 July 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Valladolid, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Valladolid | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | Valladolid B | 46 | (11) |
| 1993–1996 | Valladolid | 41 | (2) |
| 1996–1999 | Atlético Madrid B | 79 | (20) |
| 1999–2000 | Atlético Madrid | 34 | (4) |
| 2000–2010 | Valencia | 263 | (41) |
| Total | 463 | (78) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993 | Spain U18 | 3 | (1) |
| 2000–2005 | Spain | 43 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011 | Atlético Madrid (assistant) | ||
| 2013–2015 | Valencia (youth) | ||
| 2013 | Valencia B (interim) | ||
| 2015–2016 | Elche | ||
| 2016–2017 | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| 2017–2018 | Sporting Gijón | ||
| 2019–2020 | Tenerife | ||
| 2020 | Zaragoza | ||
| 2023–2024 | Valencia | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rubén Baraja Vegas (Spanish pronunciation: [ruˈβem baˈɾaxa]; born 11 July 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer, currently a manager.
A complete central midfielder with good tackling, technique, and offensive qualities, together with accurate passing and goalscoring ability, he played mostly for Valencia during a 17-year professional career, being an essential figure in five of the club's major titles, which included two La Liga championships.
Baraja was also a consistent part of the Spain national team for five years, appearing in one World Cup and one European Championship and winning 43 caps. He began work as a head coach in 2015 and was hired by Valencia eight years later.