Diego Valeri

Lanús

After impressing with the reserves, Valeri was promoted into the Lanús first team under head coach Miguel Ángel Brindisi. He made his professional debut on 27 September 2003 against Vélez Sarsfield. During his time at Lanús, Valeri played in 158 matches, scoring 25 goals in the Argentine Primera División. During the 2007–08 season, Valeri scored a season-high 8 goals in 26 matches and helped Lanús to the Apertura title. Towards the end of his time at Lanús, Valeri was named club captain.

Porto (loan)

On 17 July 2009, Valeri joined Portuguese Primeira Liga club FC Porto on a two-season loan with a purchase option. He made his debut for Porto on 23 August 2009 against Nacional, coming on as a substitute for Raul Meireles in the 75th minute of a 3–0 victory. Valeri then made his UEFA Champions League debut on 30 September 2009 during a 2–0 victory against Atlético Madrid, coming on as a stoppage time substitute. During his loan at Porto, Valeri played four matches in the Taça de Portugal to help Porto earn their 15th domestic cup title. He came on as a 72nd-minute substitute for the club in the final against Chaves as Porto won 2–1. Following his first season with Porto, it was reported that Valeri did not fit into the plans for new manager André Villas-Boas. He also had a tough time adapting at the club, citing the pressure and demand to perform while playing outside his home country for the first time.

Almería (loan)

On 9 July 2010, it…

On 16 March 2011, Valeri made his international debut for Argentina at the Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario in a friendly against Venezuela. Argentina won 4–1. Valeri went on to make just two more appearances with Argentina, both in 2011, against Ecuador and Paraguay. In June 2011, prior to Copa América, Valeri was included in the provisional squad for Argentina by manager Sergio Batista but was cut from the final 23-man squad.

A technically gifted player, Valeri was capable of both scoring and creating goals. When he joined the Portland Timbers in 2013, he was brought in to become the creative force of the offense for coach Caleb Porter. "He will be one of the better playmakers in the league, but more importantly Diego fits our identity and his play should boost production to help the club win games," stated Porter after Valeri signed with the Timbers. Throughout his time with the Timbers, Valeri was considered the creative spark for the club. During his first season in Portland, Valeri adapted into the middle of Porter's 4–3–3 formation, forming a partnership with central midfielders Diego Chará and Will Johnson. That partnership allowed Valeri the freedom he needed to score ten goals and provide thirteen assists in his first season with the club. Valeri was known to be the creative lynchpin and key to the Portland Timbers attack. Considered to be a skilled passer who was able to get the ball to his forwards in great positions, Valeri was not only known for his offensive ability but also for being able to contribute defensively by dropping back and helping start a Timbers counterattack. Prior to a match in 2014, former Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney stated that Valeri was "clever" and that "you don't really want to send your marking guy to the outside to deal with him". When former Lanús teammate Sebastián Blanco arrived at the Timbers, both he and Valeri began a partnership that would be key to…

Born in the industrial city of Lanús, a suburb of Buenos Aires on 1 May 1986, Valeri is the son of Luis, a former footballer turned shoe factory owner, and Monica, a former tennis player for the local athletic club. As a child, Valeri played football among his friends. When Valeri turned nine, through his mother, he participated in a trial with the local football club Club Atlético Lanús. Valeri was recruited into the club's youth team and played with the club's youth sides for five years before being promoted into the reserves.