Alberto Marí has found a new destination in Hungarian football following his departure from Valencia Club de Fútbol. The player has signed for Budapest Honvéd FC, a historic club founded in 1909, as reported this Thursday by the sports outlet Sport.es. Sport.es first reported the story.
The Valencian club announced the departure of the former Real Zaragoza player before the transfer deadline, as confirmed by Luis Alloza. Marí terminated his contract after a spell in which he made 25 official appearances for Valencia's first team, scoring two goals. He made his official debut for the club in 2023. This move comes as Valencia CF sits 16th in La Liga, with just one point from three games and a goal difference of -3, having scored only once and conceded four times.
What was Marí's spell at Valencia like?
Alberto Marí failed to establish himself as a fixed piece in Valencia Club de Fútbol's project. After his debut in 2023, the club decided to loan him out to gain minutes in other divisions. His last experience before the permanent exit was a loan to Mirandés, where a serious injury limited his participation to just 19 matches, starting 11 of them. Previously, during the 2023-2024 season, he had been on loan at Real Zaragoza. There he played 27 matches in La Liga 2 and two in the Copa del Rey, scoring two league goals and one cup goal. He played a total of 690 minutes in the league competition and 151 in the cup.
At Zaragoza, he began as a starter under coach Víctor but later lost that status. Managers Ramírez and Gabi used him mainly as an emergency option in the final moments of matches. Even so, he managed to score decisive goals against teams like Granada and Cartagena.
What does Budapest Honvéd represent?
Alberto Marí's new club, Budapest Honvéd FC, is an institution with enormous weight in Hungarian football history. Founded in 1909 in Budapest's Kispest district, it became the official team of the Hungarian army in 1949. It is the club where Ferenc Puskás forged his legend, scoring 358 goals in 341 matches for Honvéd before making the leap to Real Madrid. The club has won five league titles in its history. For Marí, this step means joining a club with a winning tradition, as he himself highlighted by stating he arrives at "a big club".
What is the current context for Valencia CF?
The departure of Alberto Marí comes at a complicated sporting moment for Valencia Club de Fútbol. The team is mired in a poor start to the season, with a record of zero wins, one draw and two losses in its first three matches. This situation leaves them eight points behind the leaders, Barcelona, whom they will face in their next fixture. The match is scheduled for September 6, 2026 and will be played at the Mestalla stadium. Fans can follow the schedule evolution on our fixtures page and check the updated standings on standings.
The team needs to quickly find the path to victory to move away from the lower positions in the table. The upcoming visit from Barcelona, currently top of the table, represents a huge challenge but also an opportunity to make a statement. The current squad, which you can review in the squad section, will have to demonstrate its ability to react against one of the strongest rivals in the championship. Alberto Marí now begins a new chapter in Hungary, while Valencia CF focuses on the demanding match next weekend.
