Biography
Who is Albert Riera?
Early career and Mallorca
Albert Riera began his professional path with his hometown club, Mallorca. He made his first-team debut in La Liga on 25 February 2001 against Racing Santander. During his first two seasons, he played 17 matches and scored three goals. One well-known moment occurred on 27 May 2001, when he scored his first goal to help secure a 4-0 win over Rayo Vallecano.
In the 2002-03 season, he became a regular starter for the team. He helped Mallorca win the Copa del Rey and scored four league goals across 35 appearances. His performances in Spain eventually led to a move abroad to continue his playing career.
Playing career in Europe
In the summer of 2003, he moved to France to join Bordeaux. He played 66 competitive matches for the club over two years and scored nine goals. This period included a run to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals during his first season. After his time in France, he returned to Spain to sign with Espanyol in 2005.
While at Espanyol, he played in the 2007 UEFA Cup final. He also had a brief loan spell at Manchester City in early 2006, where he scored against Newcastle United. Later, he signed with Liverpool in September 2008 for a fee of 8 million pounds. During his time with the Reds, he scored several goals in the Premier League and the Champions League, including a goal against PSV Eindhoven.
International career and transition
Albert Riera represented the Spanish national team during his playing years. He earned 16 caps for his country and made his debut in October 2007 against Denmark. He scored a goal in that match, which ended in a 3-1 victory. He was also a member of the Spanish squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where the team finished in third place.
Managerial career
After retiring from professional play in early 2018, he moved into coaching. He earned a UEFA Pro Licence in 2019. He served as an assistant coach at Galatasaray and later managed Olimpija Ljubljana. In his first season with the Slovenian side, he achieved a double by winning both the Slovenian PrvaLiga and the Slovenian Football Cup.
Currently, Albert Riera serves as the head coach for the Serbian SuperLiga club Red Star Belgrade. His coaching path has also included stints at Celje, Bordeaux, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Udinese.
Birthday and age
Albert Riera was born on April 15, 1982, which makes Albert 44 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Albert shares the date with 65 other famous people.
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