Álvaro Arbeloa

Personal information
Full name	Álvaro Arbeloa Coca
Date of birth	17 January 1983 (1983-01-17) (age 26)
Place of birth	Salamanca, Spain
Height	1.84 m (6 ft +1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Fullback
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid
Number	2
Youth career
1995–2002	Real Zaragoza
2002–2003	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2006	Real Madrid B	50	(1)
2004–2005	Real Madrid	2	(0)
2006–2007	Deportivo La Coruña	20	(0)
2007–2009	Liverpool	66	(2)
2009–	Real Madrid	5	(0)
National team‡
2001	Spain U17	1	(0)
2001	Spain U19	4	(0)
2005	Spain U21	1	(0)
2008–	Spain	12	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21 November 2009. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2009

Álvaro Arby Arbeloa Coca (born 17 January 1983) is a Spanish football player currently playing for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. He is predominantly a right back, although he can play as a central defender, and he started most of his early games in the 2007–08 season as a left back.

Arbeloa trained with Real Madrid as a youth player, and worked his way up to the first team, making his debut in the 2004–05 season. However, he mostly played for the Real Madrid B team. He moved to Deportivo La Coruña to play first team football in La Liga in 2006, but moved to Liverpool after half a season. He cemented his place in the Liverpool first team and played in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, although the team lost to Milan. Arbeloa made 93 appearances in his three seasons at the club. He returned to Madrid in 2009 for a fee of €4 million.

Internationally, he made his senior debut in 2008 and has played for Spain at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, winning the former tournament.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Real Madrid

After signing as a teenager for Real Madrid. Arbeloa began playing with the youth team. He later graduated to the reserve team, and played with the first team twice.

[edit] Deportivo La Coruña

On 24 July 2006, Arbeloa signed for Deportivo La Coruña, following in the footsteps of teammate Roberto Soldado. Arbeloa said: "This is a strange situation for me; I have been playing for Real Madrid for a year, since I was 16-years-old. Real was nothing but good to me, but it's time for me to go. Madrid have the best players in the world and although that is great for the club, unfortunately that's not so great for cantera players; only a few of us can find their place in the first team, and even those who do find their place in the first team like Álvaro Mejía and Paco Pavón are only third or fourth pick, and that is why I want to leave the club to a club where I can get some regular playing time, in La Liga of course. Deportivo La Coruña is one of the best clubs in Spain and with Joaquín Caparrós as head coach I will certainly get more experience, and get better, what is most important is that he will have confidence in me. I have enjoyed my time at Real, and I thank everybody who helped me. I'm leaving Real Madrid to play more football, no other reason."

[edit] Liverpool

Arbeloa playing for Liverpool in 2007

On 31 January 2007, Arbeloa signed for English Premier League club Liverpool,^[1] for a fee of around €4 million, with Real Madrid receiving 50% of the fee.^{[citation needed]} He made his Premiership debut on 10 February^[2] against Newcastle United, coming as a substitute for Jermaine Pennant. He made his full debut against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League at the Nou Camp, where he was employed as a left-back. This was done by coach Rafael Benítez for tactical reasons, as his stronger right foot could stop Lionel Messi, because Messi has a tendency to cut his runs towards the center of the field. His part in keeping Messi quiet helped Liverpool to a 2–1 win over the defending champions. He scored his first goal for Liverpool against Reading on 7 April 2007,^[3] becoming both the first Liverpool number 2 to score in a competitive match since Mike Marsh scored in a League Cup 4th Round replay against Crystal Palace on 16 December 1992 and the first Liverpool number 2 to score in the Premier League since Mike Marsh scored against Crystal Palace on 28 November 1992. He helped Liverpool to the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final, and came on as a susbtitute as they went down 2–1 to Milan.

Arbeloa's squad number changed from 2 to 17 as a personal preference for the 2007–08 season. Continuing his good form from the latter stages of the 2007–08 season, Arbeloa cemented a first team place in the Liverpool team following good performances during Liverpool's victories over fierce rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.

Arbeloa playing for Real Madrid

On 18 May 2009, in a match against West Bromwich Albion, Arbeloa was involved in an on-field clash with Liverpool teammate Jamie Carragher, and the two had to be separated by Xabi Alonso, Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, and Emiliano Insúa. Carragher later explained that he clashed with Arbeloa as a moment of poor defending from the latter threatened the clean sheet Liverpool were maintaining during the match, which would have been the 23rd of the season for Liverpool. The Liverpool vice-captain explained, "we want to keep a clean sheet and we want Pepe to have a chance of the Golden Glove for the fourth season running." Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez refused to comment about the incident. This turned out to be Arbeloa's final game for Liverpool.

[edit] Return to Real Madrid

On 29 July 2009, it was announced that Real Madrid and Liverpool had reached an agreement on the transfer of Arbeloa to the Spanish club. A fee of €4 million (the same amount Liverpool paid for the player in January 2007) had been agreed between the clubs. Arbeloa signed a five-year contract after completing the deal.^[4] After the departure of fellow full backs Míchel Salgado and Miguel Torres, Arbeloa has been handed the number 2 jersey.

[edit] International career

On 1 February 2008, he was called up to the full Spanish national team squad for the first time, to play France in a friendly match in Malaga on 6 February, although he was forced to pull out because of injury.^[5] He made his international debut on 26 March against Italy. He was selected for the Spain squad for UEFA Euro 2008, starting the first round match against Greece.

Arbeloa continued in the national team through to the 2009 Confederations Cup, where he helped Spain to the semi-finals.

[edit] Honors and awards

[edit] International

• UEFA European Championship

• Winner (1): 2008

[edit] Club

• UEFA Champions League

• Runner-up (1): 2007
• Runner-up (1): ((2008-09 FA Premier League))

[edit] Career statistics

Updated 25 November 2009

Club	Season	La Liga		Copa del Rey		Supercopa de España		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
RM Castilla	2003–04	16	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	16	1
Real Madrid	2004–05	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	2	0
RM Castilla	2005–06	34	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	34	0
	Club Total	52	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	52	1
Deportivo de La Coruña	2006–07	20	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	20	0
	Club Total	20	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	0
	Season	Premier League		FA Cup		League Cup		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Liverpool	2006–07	9	1	0	0	0	0	5	0	14	1
	2007–08	28	0	1	0	3	0	9	0	41	0
	2008–09	29	1	2	0	0	0	12	0	43	1
	Club Total	66	2	3	0	3	0	26	0	98	2
	Season	La Liga		Copa del Rey		Supercopa de España		Europe		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Real Madrid	2009–10	5	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	10	0
	Club Total	5	0	2	0	0	0	3	0	10	0
Career Total		93	2	5	0	3	0	29	0	130	2

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• [1]
• Álvaro Arbeloa career stats at Soccerbase
• Transfer to Liverpool FC (Spanish)
• Personal Website
• LFChistory.net player profile

Spain Squad v • d • e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2008 Winners (2nd Title) 1 Casillas (c) • 2 Albiol • 3 F. Navarro • 4 Marchena • 5 Puyol • 6 Iniesta • 7 Villa • 8 Xavi • 9 F. Torres • 10 Fàbregas • 11 Capdevila • 12 Cazorla • 13 Palop • 14 Xabi Alonso • 15 S. Ramos • 16 Sergio García • 17 Güiza • 18 Arbeloa • 19 Senna • 20 Juanito • 21 Silva • 22 De la Red • 23 Reina • Coach: Aragonés v • d • e Spain squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Casillas (c) • 2 Albiol • 3 Piqué • 4 Marchena • 5 Puyol • 6 Pablo H. • 7 Villa • 8 Xavi • 9 F. Torres • 10 Fàbregas • 11 Capdevila • 12 Busquets • 13 D. López • 14 Xabi Alonso • 15 S. Ramos • 16 Llorente • 17 Güiza • 18 Riera • 19 Arbeloa • 20 Cazorla • 21 Silva • 22 Mata • 23 Reina • Coach: del Bosque