Rai Marchán

{{Infobox football biography

| image = Raimon_Marchan_training_for_Melbourne_Victory_Februrary_2023.jpg

| name = Rai Marchán

| fullname = Raimon Marchán Vidal

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1993|8|11}}

| birth_place = Vilafranca del Penedès, Spain

| height = 1.81 m{{cite web |title=RAIMON Marchán Vidal |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/squads/vfwu1evhxgeeza1pvkyaxgph?slug=vfwu1evhxgeeza1pvkyaxgph&competition=7ow2q4agyqskzj6ycukwmhtlg&teams=9xmhnv6im8h7c9e17oqvcx8gl&selected=MEN |website=Melbourne Victory FC |access-date=24 November 2021}}

| position = Defensive midfielder

| currentclub = Albacete

| clubnumber = 6

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Vilafranca

| youthyears2 = 2010–2012

| youthclubs2 = Real Madrid

| years1 = 2012–2014

| clubs1 = Real Madrid C

| caps1 = 32

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = → Leganés (loan)

| caps2 = 7

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2015–2016

| clubs3 = Valencia B

| caps3 = 7

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2016–2017

| clubs4 = Valladolid B

| caps4 = 35

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2017–2019

| clubs5 = Celta B

| caps5 = 76

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2019–2021

| clubs6 = Andorra

| caps6 = 44

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2021–2024

| clubs7 = Melbourne Victory

| caps7 = 50

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = Albacete

| caps8 = 33

| goals8 = 1

| club-update = 1 April 2025

}}

Raimon "Rai" Marchán Vidal (born 11 August 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Albacete Balompié.

He spent most of his career in the Segunda División B, totalling 194 games with six clubs. In 2021, he signed for Melbourne Victory in the A-League Men.

Football career

=Spain=

Born in Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Marchán was a Real Madrid CF youth product and made his senior debut on loan to CD Leganés in the Segunda División B in 2012.{{cite news |title=Con Garitano no llegó al Lega ni un jugador blanco |trans-title=Under Garitano not a single "Whites" player has arrived at Lega|url=https://www.pressreader.com/spain/as-valladolid/20180428/281663960622209/textview |access-date=24 December 2022 |work=Diario AS |date=28 April 2018 |language=Spanish}} He played the following season with the capital club's C-team in the same division, ending in administrative relegation, and in 2015 he signed for another reserve team, Valencia CF Mestalla.

After a year at Real Valladolid Promesas, Marchán joined yet another third-tier second team in July 2017, signing for two years at Celta de Vigo B with the option of two more.{{cite news |last1=Fernández |first1=Claudia |title=El Celta B se refuerza con Rai Marchán|trans-title=Celta B bolster themselves with Rai Marchán|url=https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2017/07/12/radio_vigo/1499860329_718330.html |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=Cadena SER |date=12 July 2017 |language=Spanish}} On 28 August 2019, he signed for FC Andorra, again in the same division.{{cite news |title=Rai Marchán, nou jugador del FC Andorra|trans-title=Rai Marchán, new FC Andorra player|url=https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2019/08/28/radio_ser_principat_d_andorra/1566997345_776062.html |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=Cadena SER |date=28 August 2019 |language=Catalan}}

=Melbourne Victory=

On 27 July 2021, Marchán signed for Melbourne Victory FC in the Australian A-League Men.{{cite web |title=Melbourne Victory signs Rai Marchan |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/melbourne-victory-signs-rai-marchan |website=Melbourne Victory FC |date=27 July 2021 |access-date=24 November 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Guijarro |first1=Eric |title=El vilafranquí Rai Marchan, nou futbolista del Melbourne Victory|trans-title=Vilafranca-born Rai Marchán, new Melbourne Victory footballer |url=https://www.rtvvilafranca.cat/2021/07/el-vilafranqui-rai-marchan-nou-futbolista-del-melbourne-victory/ |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=RTV Vilafranca |date=28 July 2021 |language=Catalan}} He was sent off on 5 December in a 3–0 home loss to Perth Glory FC, for a high challenge on Jonathan Aspropotamitis in first-half added time.{{cite news |title=Antonee Burke-Gilroy stars as Perth Glory beat Melbourne Victory |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/football/report/_/gameId/619856 |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=ESPN |date=5 December 2021}}

On 25 January 2022, in a game against Sydney FC at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Marchán clashed heads with teammate Jason Geria and was taken off in a stretcher. His facial fractures caused him to eat less and drop five kilograms in weight from what he already described as a slender frame, requiring him to bulk up in order to be recalled by manager Tony Popovic.{{cite news |last1=Harrington |first1=Anna |title=Marchan keen to find ALM form at Victory |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/soccer/marchan-keen-to-find-alm-form-at-victory-c-6213532 |access-date=24 December 2022 |work=The West Australian |date=26 March 2022}} He made his comeback in his continental debut on 15 March, an AFC Champions League playoff lost 4–3 away to Japanese club Vissel Kobe.{{cite news |title=Rai Machán destaca por su criterio y aporte de gran equilibrio |trans-title=Rai Machán stands out for his criteria and contribution of great balance|url=https://mesassport.com/rai-marchan-afc-champions-league/ |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=Mesas Sport |date=17 March 2022 |language=Spanish}}

Having made 21 league appearances, Marchán was given a two-year contract extension in June 2022.{{cite news |title=Melbourne Victory re-signs Rai Marchán |url=https://melbournevictory.com.au/news/melbourne-victory-re-signs-rai-marchan |access-date=24 December 2022 |publisher=Melbourne Victory FC |date=7 June 2022}} He earned an interesting statistical oddity as a result of the postponement of a Melbourne Derby game due to a pitch invasion. He had originally started the match before it stopped in the 21st minute, and when it resumed 4 months later both teams were allowed to remake their squads. Marchán was on the bench this time, and as a result he came on as a substitute in the 67th minute of a game he had started & played the first 21 minutes in.

=Albacete=

After leaving Melbourne, Marchán signed a short-term deal with Albacete Balompié back in his country's Segunda División on 1 February 2024.{{cite web|url=https://www.albacetebalompie.es/noticias/rai-marchan-acepta-el-desafio|title=Rai Marchán acepta el desafío|trans-title=Rai Marchán accepts the challenge|publisher=Albacete Balompié|language=es|date=1 February 2024|accessdate=1 February 2024}}

Personal life

Marchán graduated from Universidad Camilo José Cela with a degree in business administration.{{cite web |last1=Rhys |first1=James |title='He's a player who is going to fight' – what Victory fans can expect from Rai Marchan|url=https://kick360.com.au/hes-not-come-to-australia-on-vacation-hes-a-player-who-is-going-to-fight-what-victory-fans-can-expect-from-rai-marchan/ |website=Kick 360 |access-date=24 November 2021}}