Albert Riera Vidal (born 28 December 1983) is a Spanish former professional
footballer who is currently the manager of New Zealand
Northern League Northern League may refer to:
Sport
Baseball
* Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971
* Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...
club
Auckland City
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...
. Riera spent the majority of his playing career in New Zealand, mainly appearing as a
defensive midfielder for
Auckland City
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...
in the
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...
and for
Wellington Phoenix in the
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
.
Playing career
Born in
Barcelona,
Catalonia, Riera played with local teams, at the beginning in
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
(
CD Binéfar and
Atlético Monzón), and later in
Catalonia (
CF Balaguer
Club de Futbol Balaguer is a Spanish football team based in Balaguer, in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1945 it currently plays in Tercera División – Group 5, holding home games at ''Municipal de Balaguer'', with a capacity ...
,
FC Benavent
Futbol Club Benavent was a List of football clubs in Spain, football team from Benavent de Segrià in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain. Founded in 1981 and dissolved in June 2010 due to lack of support, it played its last season, 2009 ...
and
CFJ Mollerussa
Club de Futbol Joventut Mollerussa is a football team based in Mollerussa in the autonomous community of Catalonia. Founded in 1930, it plays in the Primera Catalana – Group 2. Its stadium is '' Camp Municipal'' with a capacity of 4,000 seats.
...
).
Auckland City
Riera debuted with
Auckland City
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...
on 21 February 2011, coming on as a substitute in the 73rd minute of a match against
AS Magenta in the
2010–11 OFC Champions League
The 2010–11 OFC Champions League, also known as the 2011 O-League for short, was the 10th edition of the Oceanian Club Championship, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 5th sea ...
.
[AS Magenta vs Auckland City FC – Match Summary](_blank)
Riera and Auckland City went on to win the Champions League, with Riera coming on as a substitute in two games (against Magenta
and against
Waitakere United) and starting in two (against
Tefana and against
Amicale). In the
2010–11 New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship's 2010–11 season (known as the ASB Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is the seventh season of the NZFC since its establishment in 2004. The home and away season began on 16 October 2010 with a kickoff b ...
Riera played in a total of five games, as well as the four games in the OFC Champions League.
In the 2011–12 season Riera played in 24 matches with Auckland City. Domestically, he played in 14 matches in the
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...
, in which Auckland City won the premiership, and in the ASB Charity Cup match against
Waitakere United. Riera also played in all 8 matches of the
OFC Champions League, in which he won the Golden Ball award for best player of the tournament, and played together with Auckland City in the
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, where they were eliminated in the first round, after losing to
Kashiwa Reysol.
In the 2012–13 season Riera played in 26 matches with Auckland City. Domestically, he played in 16 matches in the
New Zealand Football Championship
The New Zealand Football Championship ( mi, Te Whakataetae Whutupaoro a Aotearoa) was a men's association football league at the top of the New Zealand league system. Founded in 2004, the New Zealand Football Championship was the successor to a m ...
, in which Auckland City took 2nd place, and in the ASB Charity Cup match against
Waitakere United. Riera scored his first goal in the opening round of the domestic league against
Canterbury United. Riera also played in 8 matches of the
OFC Champions League, helping Auckland City win their fifth title of the competition, and their third consecutive title. Once again he played for Auckland City in the
FIFA Club World Cup
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men's association football competition organised by the ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The competition was first contested in 200 ...
, where they were eliminated in the first round, after losing to
Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Wellington Phoenix
Riera was signed by
Wellington Phoenix of the
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
on 7 October 2013, after they had played a pre-season friendly against Auckland City. He debuted for Wellington Phoenix in the opening match of the
2013–14 season against
Brisbane Roar, coming on as a substitute in the 55th minute.
Halfway through the season, he signed a year-long extension to his contract with Wellington Phoenix. Riera was named the Phoenix's player of the year for the
2013–14 season.
Riera announced his retirement from the Phoenix on 21 May 2016.
Return to Auckland City
Riera's retirement was short lived, as he signed for his former club
Auckland City
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...
for the
2016–17 New Zealand Football Championship
The 2016–17 New Zealand Football Championship season (currently known as the Stirling Sports Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the thirteenth season of the NZFC since its establishment in 2004. Ten teams competed this season with the add ...
season.
Coaching career
He left Auckland City at the end of the
2020–21 season to take up a role as assistant manager of
West Coast Rangers, newly formed to compete in the
Northern League Northern League may refer to:
Sport
Baseball
* Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971
* Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...
, along with former Auckland City teammate
Ángel Berlanga
Ángel Luis Viña Berlanga (born 24 February 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Auckland City in the New Zealand Football Championship.
Career Auckland City
After playing in his native Spain for Rayo Maja ...
. On 4 May 2021, after a poor start to the
2021 Northern League season, manager Chris Acott stepped down and was replaced by Riera; however, West Coast Rangers could not avoid relegation to
NRFL Division 1.
On 1 December 2021, it was announced that Riera would return to
Auckland City
Auckland City was a territorial authority with city status covering the central isthmus of the urban area of Auckland, New Zealand. It was governed by the Auckland City Council from 1989 to 2010, and as a territory within the wider Auckland R ...
as their new manager for the
2022 Northern League season.
Personal life
In October 2018, Riera became a New Zealand citizen.
Managerial statistics
Honours
Player
Auckland City
*
New Zealand Football Championship Premiers:
2011–12
* ASB Charity Cup: 2011
*
OFC Champions League:
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2011–12,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*
A-League All Stars: 2014
Individual
* OFC Golden Ball:
2011–12
Manager
Auckland City
*
Northern League Northern League may refer to:
Sport
Baseball
* Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971
* Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...
:
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
References
External links
Auckland City official profile*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riera Vidal, Albert
1983 births
Living people
Spanish footballers
Footballers from Barcelona
Association football midfielders
Tercera División players
CF Balaguer footballers
Auckland City FC players
Wellington Phoenix FC players
New Zealand Football Championship players
A-League Men players
Spanish expatriate footballers
Expatriate association footballers in New Zealand
Spanish expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand
CD Binéfar players
Atlético Monzón players
Naturalised citizens of New Zealand
Spanish emigrants to New Zealand