After the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, where "Barça" lost 0–4 to A.C. Milan in the final, Zubizarreta was deemed surplus to requirements and finished his career at Valencia CF, still playing at a high level. He retired after the 1997–98 campaign at nearly 37, having played in nearly 1,000 competitive games (622 in the league alone – the all-time record – conceding 626 goals).