1. Early Life and Youth Career
Alberto Bueno Calvo's football journey began in his hometown of Madrid, where he developed his skills and rose through the ranks of one of Spain's most renowned football academies.
1.1. Birth and Background
Alberto Bueno Calvo was born in Madrid, Spain, on March 20, 1988. He started his football career at a young age, showcasing an early aptitude for the sport that would eventually lead him to one of the biggest clubs in the world.
1.2. Real Madrid Youth System
Bueno joined the Real Madrid youth system in 2001, starting at the Infantil A level. His progression through the age groups was remarkably smooth, demonstrating his potential as a future professional. By the 2003-04 season, he had advanced to the Juvenil A team, a testament to his accelerated development.
During the 2005-06 season, while still with the Juvenil A team, Bueno formed a formidable attacking partnership with fellow youth product Juan Mata. Together, they achieved an astonishing record, combining for 61 goals, with Bueno contributing 37 goals himself, and Mata scoring 24 goals. This prolific scoring record brought him significant recognition. In the 2006-07 season, he was promoted to Real Madrid Castilla, the club's reserve team, where he appeared in 31 games in the Segunda División. During his time with Castilla, he played alongside other notable talents such as Juan Mata, Álvaro Negredo, Adrián, and Esteban Granero. Overall, he played 97 matches for Real Madrid Castilla, scoring 22 goals.
2. Club Career
Alberto Bueno's professional club career spanned multiple countries and leagues, marked by periods of prolific goal-scoring and significant challenges, including injuries and reported off-field issues.
2.1. Real Madrid
In August 2007, Real Madrid offered Bueno a professional contract with the first team, recognizing his potential. He was included in the pre-season training camp under coach Bernd Schuster and featured in a friendly match against FC Lokomotiv Moscow, where he was substituted at halftime by another cantera (youth academy) player, Javier Balboa.
Bueno made his official debut for the Real Madrid first team on November 11, 2008, in a Copa del Rey tie against Real Unión from the Segunda División B. Despite scoring a goal just 15 minutes into the second half in a 4-3 victory, Real Madrid suffered a shocking exit from the competition on a 6-6 aggregate score due to the away goals rule. Eleven days later, he made his La Liga debut, coming on as a late substitute for Raúl in a 1-0 home win against Recreativo de Huelva. He made a total of 3 appearances for the Real Madrid first team.
2.2. Real Valladolid
On July 15, 2009, Bueno completed a transfer to Real Valladolid, signing a five-year deal. The contract included a clause allowing Real Madrid the option to repurchase him within the first two years. In his initial season (2009-10 La Liga) with the Castile and León-based club, he was used intermittently, and the team ultimately faced relegation from the top flight.
After a loan spell at Derby County, Bueno returned to Valladolid. He proved instrumental in the 2011-12 Segunda División season, scoring 7 goals in 32 appearances to help the team secure promotion back to La Liga after a two-year absence. The following season (2012-13 La Liga), he continued to contribute, adding 5 goals, which played a part in the club's successful bid to avoid relegation. In total, Bueno played 85 matches and scored 13 goals for Real Valladolid.
2.2.1. Loan to Derby County
On August 30, 2010, English club Derby County announced that Bueno was in attendance for their 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers, signaling an imminent loan deal. The following day, it was confirmed that he had joined the Rams on a season-long loan for the 2010-11 Football League season.
Bueno made his debut as a substitute in a 0-1 home loss against Sheffield United, and his first start came in a 0-2 defeat at Hull City. Despite these initial losses, he quickly contributed to a strong run of form for Derby, helping them secure 14 points out of a possible 18 during a six-match unbeaten streak. This impressive impact earned him praise from first-team coach Gary Crosby, who lauded Bueno's "outstanding" awareness, touch, and ability as a natural footballer.
Playing as one of three supporting strikers in Derby's 4-2-3-1 formation, Bueno opened his goal-scoring account with a brace against Crystal Palace in a dominant 5-0 home win. He followed this up with another goal, the second in a 3-0 victory over Preston North End, earning him the player of the match award in both games. His impressive early form even led to rumors of a potential move to Premier League side Wigan Athletic, although Derby County swiftly dismissed these links, clarifying that his loan agreement did not contain any clause allowing him to leave during the January transfer window.
However, Bueno's form, along with that of the team, declined over the remainder of the season. Derby won only four of their final 26 league games, dropping from fourth place in the table to 19th in the 2010-11 Football League Championship. Bueno managed only two more goals in the final seven months, both coming in defeats against Ipswich Town and Norwich City. At the conclusion of the season, manager Nigel Clough expressed uncertainty about Bueno's future, indicating that his permanent signing was not a priority. He ultimately returned to Valladolid having played 29 matches and scored 5 goals for Derby.
2.3. Rayo Vallecano
In the summer of 2013, Alberto Bueno joined Rayo Vallecano, signing a two-year contract. He quickly established himself as a key player for the Madrid-based club. On February 28, 2015, Bueno made history by scoring an incredible four goals in only 14 minutes during a 4-2 home league victory over Levante UD. This achievement made him the second-fastest player to score four goals in a La Liga match, only surpassed by Bebeto in 1995. For Rayo Vallecano, he appeared in 72 matches and scored 28 goals.
2.4. Porto
On May 25, 2015, as a free agent, Bueno signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club FC Porto. He joined a notable contingent of Spanish compatriots at the club, including then-manager Julen Lopetegui. However, his first season (2015-16 Primeira Liga) was largely hampered by a meniscus injury, which kept him sidelined for an extended period. This injury significantly limited his playing time and impact, and he ultimately played only 4 matches for Porto without scoring.
2.4.1. Loan Spells in Spain
Bueno's struggles with injuries and limited opportunities at Porto led to several loan spells back in Spain.
On August 31, 2016, he returned to La Liga, agreeing to a one-year loan deal with Granada CF. He scored his only goal for the team on September 16, in a 2-2 draw against neighboring Real Betis. He made 13 appearances for Granada.
On January 31, 2017, Bueno moved back to his hometown, joining CD Leganés halfway through their debut 2016-17 La Liga campaign. Primarily used as a substitute, he scored just once, in a 4-0 home victory over Deportivo de La Coruña on February 25, contributing to Leganés' successful effort to avoid relegation. He appeared in 11 matches for Leganés.
In early January 2018, while still under contract with Porto, Bueno signed with Málaga CF on loan until June 30. Despite this move, he was deemed surplus to requirements by Porto manager Sérgio Conceição and was subsequently assigned to the reserves in the Segunda Liga until his situation could be resolved. He played 11 matches for Málaga.
2.5. Boavista
On January 26, 2019, Bueno was loaned to city rivals Boavista F.C. until the end of the 2018-19 Primeira Liga season. He made an immediate impact, scoring a free kick on his debut on February 2, in a 3-1 home win against C.D. Feirense. During this initial loan spell, he played 15 matches and scored 2 goals.
The following month, in an interview with Radio Marca in his home country, Bueno publicly accused his parent club, FC Porto, of workplace bullying, stating he was "a target of bullying every day." Despite this serious accusation and a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave if he received a satisfactory offer from a Spanish top-flight team, Bueno committed to Boavista for the 2019-20 campaign, later making his move permanent. As a permanent player, he appeared in an additional 19 matches and scored 3 goals.
2.6. Later Career and Retirement
In January 2021, Bueno signed with Volos FC in the Super League Greece. He played 9 matches and scored 2 goals during his time there. In the ensuing off-season, he moved to newly promoted Greek club Ionikos FC, where he made 3 appearances.
On February 27, 2022, Bueno transferred to Primera Federación side Algeciras CF in Spain. He concluded his professional playing career after making 13 appearances for the club. Following his retirement from professional football, Alberto Bueno remained involved in the sport. He began playing in Gerard Piqué's popular seven-a-side football league, the Kings League, representing teams such as 1K FC (co-owned by Iker Casillas), Porcinos FC, and Ultimate Móstoles.
3. International Career
Alberto Bueno represented Spain extensively at various youth levels, achieving significant success and showcasing his goal-scoring prowess on the international stage. Overall, he earned 28 caps for Spain at youth level across all categories, scoring a total of 19 goals.
Bueno was a crucial member of the Spain U-16 team, earning 4 caps and scoring 4 goals. He also played for the Spain U-17 team, making 6 appearances and finding the net 3 times.
His most notable achievement came with the Spain U-19 team, which won the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. In that tournament, he was the top scorer with 5 goals, while his Real Madrid youth teammate, Juan Mata, contributed 4 goals. Bueno earned 13 caps and scored 11 goals for the U-19 side.
Subsequently, Bueno represented Spain at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Canada. He scored a crucial goal in extra time during the last-16 match against Brazil, helping Spain to a 4-2 victory in Burnaby. He made 4 appearances for the U-20 team, scoring 1 goal. Later, he also featured for the Spain U-21 team, making 1 appearance.
4. Honours
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2006
5. Criticism and Controversies
While Alberto Bueno's career included notable achievements on the field, it was also marked by a significant off-field controversy during his tenure at FC Porto. In February 2019, while on loan at Boavista, Bueno gave an interview to Radio Marca in Spain, where he made a serious accusation against his parent club. He publicly claimed that he had been subjected to workplace bullying on a daily basis during his time at FC Porto. This accusation highlighted challenges he faced beyond just playing time and injuries, shedding light on potential issues within the club environment.