Albert Riera Spanish professional football player Date of Birth: 15.04.1982 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Albert Riera
2. Early Career
3. Move to Bordeaux and Espanyol
4. Move to Liverpool
5. Controversy and Later Career
6. Personal Life

Biography of Albert Riera

Albert Riera is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left winger for the English Premier League club Liverpool and represents Spain in international competitions. He was born on April 15, 1982, in Manacor, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.

Early Career

Riera began his professional career at the football club Mallorca, his hometown team. However, he only appeared in 11 league games in his first two seasons. In the 2002-03 season, he became a regular starter and helped Mallorca win the Copa del Rey in 2003. He played 365 league matches and scored 4 goals for the club.

Move to Bordeaux and Espanyol

In the summer of 2003, Riera transferred to the French club Bordeaux. During his two seasons with the team, he played over 50 matches and scored 4 goals. In 2005, he returned to Spain to play for the renowned Barcelona-based club Espanyol. However, he only played 8 league matches in his first season. In January 2006, he moved to Manchester City but struggled to secure a place in the starting lineup, scoring only one goal against Newcastle United. He returned to Espanyol for the 2006-07 season, which turned out to be successful for the club as they reached the UEFA Cup final, only to be defeated by Sevilla with a score of 3-1. At the end of the season, Riera extended his contract with Espanyol until 2011.

Move to Liverpool

The following season was disappointing for Espanyol, and on September 1, 2008, Albert Riera signed a four-year contract with Liverpool for a transfer fee of 8 million euros. He made his debut for Liverpool on September 13, 2008, in a match against their arch-rivals Manchester United and scored his first goal for the club on September 18 against Wigan Athletic.

Controversy and Later Career

On March 18, 2010, Riera was suspended from playing after giving a critical interview about his manager Rafael Benitez, who had stopped selecting him for matches. His comments received backlash from fans and resulted in disciplinary action from the club. On March 23, it was reported that Liverpool was in talks to sell Riera to a Russian club. Although CSKA denied the rumors, Riera's agent confirmed that Spartak Moscow had made an offer.

Personal Life

Albert Riera's younger brother, Sito, also plays football and represents the reserve team of Espanyol. Riera is married to Russian citizen Julia Koroleva from Omsk, whom he met in 2001 while playing for Mallorca and she was on vacation. The couple welcomed a daughter in 2008, named Alejandra. Following Spanish tradition, the girl carries both surnames, Riera-Koroleva.