OneFootball
·25 February 2026
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·25 February 2026
The non-return of Raúl Albiol to Valencia CF in 2016 is no longer a mystery. His brother, Miguel Albiol, has revealed the details of a deal that was on the verge of materializing but ultimately fell through in the offices of Mestalla.
During his appearance on the program La Banda de À Punt, Miguel explained that the Mestalla club was one of the first contacts the center-back had before leaving Napoli. The negotiations were so serious that there was even a secret meeting in the capital of Turia to finalize the agreement.
According to the footballer’s brother, the meeting was held under strict secrecy to avoid leaks to the press. "They met for lunch in Valencia and the signing was very close to being finalized," Miguel confessed during the radio interview.
However, despite the player’s willingness and the progress of the talks, the move was never made official. The main reason, according to Albiol’s account, was the lack of determination from the Valencia board at the last moment.
"In the end it didn’t happen because Valencia never really made up its mind," Miguel Albiol concluded. This indecision prevented the World Cup winner from returning to what was once his home, leaving a thorn in the side of the fans who dreamed of his return that summer of 2016.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
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