Nelson Valdez
Who was Nelson Valdez?
Paraguayan striker who scored 14 goals in 39 international appearances and played for clubs including Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Nelson Valdez (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez was born on November 28, 1983, in Caaguazú, Paraguay. Known as Nelson Valdez or Nelson Haedo in Spanish-speaking regions, he had a professional career spanning over 20 years as a striker, playing in countries like Paraguay, Germany, Spain, Russia, the UAE, Greece, and the USA before moving into coaching.
Valdez started his career with Atlético Tembetary, going through their youth setup, and debuted for the first team at 16 in the Paraguayan División Intermedia in 2000. He scored 11 goals in 22 league games before being noticed by German club Werder Bremen in 2001. After scoring 15 goals in 30 matches for Werder Bremen II in his second season, he was promoted to the first team. At Werder Bremen, he was part of the squad that won the 2003–04 Bundesliga and the 2003–04 DFB-Pokal, scoring five goals in 21 league games that season. He also played in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, scoring twice against Valencia in a 2–0 win in December 2004. Competition with players like Aílton, Angelos Charisteas, Miroslav Klose, and Ivan Klasnić limited his chances in Bremen.
In August 2006, Valdez joined Borussia Dortmund for €4.7 million on a four-year deal, wearing the number 9 shirt. Over those four years, he scored 16 goals in 113 Bundesliga games and helped Dortmund qualify for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. He then moved to Eintracht Frankfurt, continuing his Bundesliga career before playing in other leagues around Europe and beyond. For the Paraguay national team, Valdez made 39 international appearances and scored 14 goals, playing in major tournaments like the FIFA World Cup.
Internationally, Valdez represented Paraguay at youth level, scoring one goal in four games at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. His senior international career spanned from 2004 to 2021, and he became one of the more seasoned Paraguayan strikers of his time. After retiring as a player, Valdez went into coaching, working as an assistant coach with Werder Bremen II before being named head coach of Club Libertad in the Paraguayan top division.
Before Fame
Nelson Valdez grew up in the Caaguazú Department, a part of Paraguay known for its strong grassroots football culture. He joined the youth program at Atlético Tembetary and advanced quickly, making his senior debut at just 16 years old in 2000. This shows his natural talent and early commitment to the game.
In 2001, he moved to Germany thanks to scouting networks that had started linking South American talent to European clubs more often during the late 1990s and early 2000s. His impressive performances for Werder Bremen's reserve team in the Regionalliga Nord led to a first-team opportunity at one of Germany's top clubs at that time.
Key Achievements
- Won the 2003–04 Bundesliga title and 2003–04 DFB-Pokal with Werder Bremen
- Scored 14 goals in 39 appearances for the Paraguay national team
- Scored in the UEFA Champions League including a brace against Valencia in December 2004
- Made 113 Bundesliga appearances for Borussia Dortmund and helped the club qualify for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League
- Appointed head coach of Club Libertad in Paraguay's top division following a coaching career at Werder Bremen II
Did You Know?
- 01.Valdez scored his first two UEFA Champions League goals in a single match, a 2–0 win over Valencia in December 2004.
- 02.He was given the iconic number 9 shirt when he joined Borussia Dortmund in 2006, a move that cost the club €4.7 million.
- 03.Despite being a striker, Valdez managed 113 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund over four years, reflecting consistent squad involvement even when not always a starter.
- 04.He represented Paraguay at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship before going on to earn 39 senior international caps.
- 05.After his playing career, Valdez returned to Werder Bremen not as a player but as an assistant coach with their reserve side, before later becoming head coach of Club Libertad in Paraguay.