Jordi Alba Ramos

Jordi Alba Ramos (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈʒɔrði ˈaɫβə ˈramos]; born 21 March 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in La Liga and the Spanish national team. Mainly a left defender, he can also operate as a left midfielder.
He started his career at Hospitalet, but finished his formation at Valencia (after a seven-year youth spell with Barcelona), rising to prominence in La Liga with the club. In 2012 he returned to Barcelona.
Alba represented Spain at Euro 2012, having first appeared for the team in 2011.

Early years

Born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Alba started his career in the youth ranks of FC Barcelona, but was released by the club in 2005. He then joined neighbouring UE Cornellà and, after almost two years, departed in a €6,000 deal to Valencia CF, where he finished his football education.
After helping the reserves earn promotion from the fourth division in 2007–08, he made his professional debut the following season, playing on loan at second level outfit Gimnàstic de Tarragona,^[1] where he performed consistently (24 start Valencia

Alba in action for Valencia.

After returning to Los Che, Alba made his La Liga debut on 13 September 2009, in a 4–2 win at Real Valladolid.^[2] He then started in two consecutive UEFA Europa League group stage contests, against Lille OSC and SK Slavia Prague (both 1–1 draws, respectively away and home). Due to continuing injuries in Valencia's defensive sector, he played much of the 2009–10 season as a left back, posting overall good performances; in that position, on 11 April 2010, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–3 away loss against RCD Mallorca.^[3]
In 2010–11, still with Unai Emery in charge, Alba was used almost exclusively in the defensive sector, battling for first-choice status with Frenchman Jérémy Mathieu. He contributed with 27 league games as Valencia again finished third, with the subsequent UEFA Champions League qualification.
In the following season, Emery began using the players simultaneously down Valencia's left side, a strategy he had tested the previous season.^[4] This proved an effective tactic as Alba and Mathieu frequently interchanged position and offered support for one another in both attacking and defensive areas;^[5][6] ultimately, the player credited the manager as a "key man" in his successful transition to a more defensive role.^[7]

  Barcelona

On 28 June 2012, Alba signed a five-year contract with Barcelona, for a transfer fee of €14 million.^[8] He made his official debut on 19 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 5–1 home win against Real Sociedad.^[9]

International career

Alba celebrating his goal in the Euro 2012 Final.

Alba represented the Spain national under-19 team at the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship as well as appearing in all four games as Spain won the gold medal at the 2009 Mediterranenan Games, he was also part of the squad at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Alba received his first call-up to the senior national team on 30 September 2011 for the last two UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers, against the Czech Republic and Scotland.^[10] He made his debut in the latter game on 11 October, a 3–1 win in Alicante in which his cut back from the left wing provided the assist for the opening goal, scored by former Valencia team mate David Silva.^[11] His impressive debut confirmed his status as a strong candidate to be the long-term successor of Joan Capdevila as the regular left back for La Roja.^[12]
Alba was included in Vicente del Bosque's squad for the finals in Poland and Ukraine, and played all the matches for the eventual winners. He supplied the cross for Xabi Alonso to open the scoring in the 2–0 quarter-final victory against France;^[13] in the final against Italy, after running onto a pass from Xavi during a counter-attack, he scored the second goal in a 4–0 win.<sup>[14][15]




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