Rubén Blanco

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Blanco and the second or maternal family name is Veiga.

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)
2022–2023	→ Marseille (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 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

Celta

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

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

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

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2017^[18]

References

1. "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.

External links

• Rubén Blanco at BDFutbol
• Rubén Blanco at Futbolme (in Spanish)