Rubén Blanco Veiga (born 25 July 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Marseille.

Rubén Blanco
Personal information
Full name Rubén Blanco Veiga[1]
Date of birth (1995-07-25) 25 July 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth Mos, Spain
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Marseille
Number 36
Youth career
Santa Mariña
2010–2012 Celta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Celta B 58 (0)
2013–2023 Celta 121 (0)
2022–2023Marseille (loan) 6 (0)
2023– Marseille 2 (0)
International career
2011 Spain U16 3 (0)
2011–2012 Spain U17 7 (0)
2013–2014 Spain U19 11 (0)
2012 Spain U20 2 (0)
2014–2017 Spain U21 2 (0)
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Spain
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Second place 2017 Poland
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:49, 18 February 2024 (UTC)

He made his professional debut for Celta in La Liga at the age of 17, and went on to play 142 games for the club.

Club career

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Celta

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Born in Mos, Province of Pontevedra, Galicia, Blanco finished his youth career with local RC Celta de Vigo. He played his first games as a senior at only 16, with the B team in the Segunda División B.[2]

On 26 May 2013, two months shy of his 18th birthday, Blanco made his main squad – and La Liga – debut, entering the pitch at half-time after Javi Varas suffered a serious shoulder injury and keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 away win against Real Valladolid.[3][4] He retained his position for the following match, the last of the season, helping to a 1–0 home victory over RCD Espanyol as Celta managed to stay up, being the first team above the relegation zone.[5]

Blanco made eight Copa del Rey appearances in 2015–16 in a semi-final run before a 6–2 aggregate loss to Sevilla FC.[6] On the league front, he played as many matches as back-up to Sergio Álvarez. On 3 January 2016, he received a straight red card for a foul on Nordin Amrabat in a 2–0 loss at Málaga CF.[7]

In 2016–17, Blanco made his continental debut as the side reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. He played four group games, beginning with the 2–2 draw against AFC Ajax at Balaídos on 20 October.[8] After five appearances of the following campaign's domestic league, he succeeded Álvarez as starting goalkeeper under manager Juan Carlos Unzué.[9] He was sent off on 16 October 2017 for taking down Jonathan Calleri in a 5–2 away win over UD Las Palmas.[10]

Blanco signed a new contract in June 2018, running until 2023.[11] On 9 November 2019, in a 4–1 away loss to FC Barcelona, he surpassed 1950s player Padrón as the youngest goalkeeper in club history to reach 100 games; both men were 24.[12]

At the start of 2021–22, Blanco lost his place to veteran Matías Dituro, whom he had previously displaced from Celta's B-team.[13]

Marseille

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On 20 July 2022, Blanco was loaned to Olympique de Marseille in France.[14] At the end of the season, he signed a permanent contract for a reported fee of €2 million.[15][16]

Career statistics

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As of match played 18 February 2024[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Celta B 2011–12 Segunda División B 4 0 4 0
2013–14 30 0 30 0
Total 34 0 34 0
Celta 2012–13 La Liga 2 0 0 0 2 0
2013–14 0 0 1 0 1 0
2014–15 1 0 4 0 5 0
2015–16 8 0 8 0 16 0
2016–17 11 0 0 0 4[b] 0 15 0
2017–18 22 0 0 0 22 0
2018–19 25 0 1 0 26 0
2019–20 33 0 1 0 31 0
2020–21 19 0 0 0 19 0
2021–22 0 0 2 0 2 0
Total 121 0 17 0 4 0 142 0
Marseille (loan) 2022–23 Ligue 1 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
Marseille 2023–24 Ligue 1 2 0 1 0 2[c] 0 5 0
Career total 163 0 19 0 6 0 188 0
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Coupe de France
  2. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League

Honours

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Spain U21

References

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  1. ^ a b "Rubén Blanco Veiga" (in Spanish). Celta Vigo. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  2. ^ Bravo, Alberto (26 April 2022). "Rubén Blanco, a cinco partidos de cerrar una temporada de pesadilla" [Rubén Blanco, five matches away from closing nightmare of a season] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Aspas is spot on". ESPN FC. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  4. ^ Estévez, Antonio (28 May 2013). "La salvación del Celta, en manos de un menor de edad" [Celta's salvation, in the hands of a minor]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  5. ^ "Insa hands Celta survival". ESPN FC. 1 June 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  6. ^ Sevillano, Jesús (7 November 2017). "Las rotaciones de Berizzo en la portería también eran habituales en Vigo" [Berizzo goal rotations were also a normal thing in Vigo]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. ^ Álvarez, Juan Carlos (5 January 2016). "El Celta presenta una alegación por la tarjeta roja a Rubén Blanco en Málaga" [Celta present an appeal against Rubén Blanco's red card in Málaga]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Orellana salva al Celta con un golazo y consigue el empate ante el Ajax" [Orella saves Celta with a wondergoal and gets draw against Ajax]. El Economista (in Spanish). 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  9. ^ Estévez, Antonio (13 November 2017). "Rubén Blanco: "Tengo que devolverle a Unzué la confianza que ha depositado en mí"" [Rubén Blanco: "I have to pay back to Unzué the trust that he has given to me"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Iago Aspas leads Celta 5–2 over Las Palmas". EFE. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Rubén Blanco renueva hasta el 2023" [Rubén Blanco renews until 2023]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 21 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  12. ^ Fuentes, Fran (12 November 2019). "Juventud y experiencia en un solo nombre: el centenario Rubén Blanco" [Youth and experience in just one name: centenarian Rubén Blanco] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  13. ^ "Dituro y Rubén, papeles cambiados diez años después" [Dituro and Rubén, roles reversed ten years later]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 8 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Welcome to Mars, Rubén Blanco!". Olympique Marseille. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Rubén blanco is Olympien". Olympique Marseille. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  16. ^ Belgacem, Chemssdine (30 July 2023). "L'OM officialise le retour de Ruben Blanco!" [OM make return of Ruben Blanco official!] (in French). Foot Mercato. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  17. ^ Rubén Blanco at Soccerway
  18. ^ "Germany U21 1–0 Spain U21". BBC Sport. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
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