Diego Valeri Is Back With The Timbers, But Only For One Day.
Portland, Ore. — Club legend Diego Valeri has signed a one-day contract to retire as a Timber, the Portland Timbers announced today. Valeri will be honored with a special Ring of Honor induction ceremony at Providence Park during the pregame and halftime of Saturday’s match against Columbus Crew SC. This makes him the sixth member of the Timbers Ring of Honor, joining Clive Charles, John Bain, Jimmy Conway, Mick Hoban, and Timber Jim.
Valeri expressed his gratitude, saying, “When I first came to Portland, the most important thing to me was to honor the club’s history and bring the highest prestige to the Timbers. Today, returning to retire a Portland Timber, I feel fulfilled about my journey and adventure with the club and am so thankful for the love the city gave to me.”
Valeri joined the Timbers in 2013 as a Designated Player, initially on loan from Club Atlético Lanús in Argentina, and later on a permanent transfer. He had an impressive career spanning nine seasons (2013-2021) with the club. Valeri holds multiple records for the Timbers, including the most goals scored in the regular season (86), the most assists (91), and the most points (263). In total, he contributed 100 goals and 104 assists in 306 appearances (265 starts) across all competitions for Portland. Valeri played a significant role in the Timbers’ success, helping the team reach three MLS Cups (2015, 2018, 2021) and seven postseason appearances (2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).
Owner Merritt Paulson remarked, “It is only fitting that Diego Valeri will officially retire a Portland Timber. He gave so much to our club, and we can never give back what he has given us. It will be amazing for fans to have the opportunity to recognize Diego publicly on Saturday when we induct him into the Ring of Honor.”
Valeri’s accomplishments include receiving several prestigious awards during his time with the Timbers. He was honored as the Landon Donovan MLS MVP in 2017, MLS Cup MVP in 2015, and MLS Newcomer of the Year in 2013. Notably, Valeri is the only player in MLS history to have won all three of these awards. He was also selected three times for the MLS Best XI (2013, 2014, 2017) and earned five MLS All-Star honors (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018). In 2020, Valeri was recognized on ‘The 25 Greatest’ MLS list, which highlights the 25 brightest stars in league history.