“Welcome to your new home”. Thus Juan B. Soler, the president of Spanish top club FC Valencia greeted his new player. The “portero”, goalkeeper, was the best of the bunch in Germany, Soler said as he praised the smiling blond player at his first media conference. Timo Hildebrand had finally arrived in Valencia. The fourth-ranked club of the Spanish elite league introduced the 28-year-old as their new goalkeeper. “I have to admit I was quite nervous”, said Hildebrand.

After this first official meeting with the two-time finalists of the UEFA Champions League, he was heaped with praise. For during his final weeks helping VfB Stuttgart gain the German national title, Timo had used his spare time swotting up on the Spanish language. When presented Hildebrand surprised journalists and club representatives alike by speaking a few sentences in the language he will live with until July 2010 at least. That’s the length of his contract with Valencia.

“He can already communicate well in Spanish”, Soler said enthusiastically of his new employee. “I can understand quite a lot, as long as they don’t speak in dialect. Replying, however, is still quite daunting”, Hildebrand disclosed. He will start his adventure abroad with self-confidence. Jose Santiago Canizares remains with Valencia as the club retains a chance of qualifying for the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League. The gangly goalie, whom German football fans may remember from the 2001 UEFA Champions League final when FC Bayern Munich beat FC Valencia after a penalty shoot-out in Milan, is a lot older. But the 37-year-old is popular with the fans – and remains a good goalkeeper.

Timo Hildebrand holds no fears, however. “I am taking up the challenge”, said the keeper who played with VfB Stuttgart for 12 years. “Valencia has been a top club in European football for years. Such a high level can only be achieved if there is strong competition for any position, including goalkeeper”. The welcome was very positive, and the first days of training in the third week of July went well. The Spaniards are looking forward to Hildebrand, the second German to play with FC Valencia since FIFA World Cup™ champion Rainer Bonhof was with the club from 1978 to 1980. During that time Bonhof brought success: Valencia won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1980. In addition, the five-time Spanish champions have gained the UEFA Cup three times (1962, 1963, 2004).

Valencia is a boom town with a lot of ideas. The port city recently made headlines when hosting the America’s Cup, the Formula One event of yachting. The real Formula One in motor racing is planning a city track around this modern, attractive metropolis on the Mediterranean. The club is constructing a new, impressive stadium. Timo Hildebrand has come to a club, which occupies third ranking behind Spanish giants FC Barcelona and Real Madrid and has every intention of improving.

“I am playing with the club of my wishes”, the goalkeeper said. “Right from the start I wanted to play here. The city is great, the people are incredibly enthusiastic, they love football, they enjoy life. I am very happy that Valencia signed me”. He does not want to hear the suggestion that he will be number two behind Canizares. He had lengthy talks with coach Quique Sanchez Flores, and everything has been discussed with new sporting director Miguel Ángel Ruiz also. Ruiz succeeded Italian Amedeo Carboni as manager. The former Valencia player was the one who vehemently advocated the club should contract another world class goalkeeper, and named Hildebrand. But in the end the German was received with open arms by all the club’s officers.

Timo Hildebrand has already answered interesting questions from some fans, after his move from Stuttgart to Valencia, on his web site. http://www.timo-hildebrand.de/index3.htm