Albert Celades

Albert Celades

Personal information
Full name	Albert Celades López
Date of birth	29 September 1975 (1975-09-29)
Place of birth	Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1990–1994	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1994–1995	Barcelona B	14	(3)
1995–1999	Barcelona	72	(4)
1999–2000	Celta	24	(1)
2000–2005	Real Madrid	56	(1)
2003–2004	→ Bordeaux (loan)	27	(3)
2005–2008	Zaragoza	71	(2)
2009	New York Red Bulls	17	(1)
2010	Kitchee	0	(0)
National team
1991–1992	Spain U16	2	(0)
1992	Spain U17	3	(0)
1993–1994	Spain U18	8	(1)
1996–1998	Spain U21	8	(1)
1998–2000	Spain	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Celades and the second or maternal family name is López.

Albert Celades López (born 29 September 1975 in Barcelona, Catalonia) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.

A tactically astute player with a strong defensive mentality, he is best known for his stints with FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, and was part of the Spanish squad at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Celades, who left Barcelona at age seven with his family to live in Andorra, was a product of FC Barcelona's youth system. He made his first team debuts during 1995–96, and finished his first professional season with 16 games and two goals, as the Catalans finished third in La Liga. Nonetheless, he would still spend another full season with the club's B team.

In 1997–98, Celades played in 36 matches, mostly as a sweeper, as the Louis van Gaal side conquered the national title after a three-year drought. He also started both legs of the 1997 UEFA Super Cup, helping Barça to a 3–1 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund, but appeared less significantly in the following season, with Barça renewing its domestic supremacy.

After a year with Celta de Vigo, Celades moved to Real Madrid, against which he scored the winner (1–0) on 28 November 1999, in the previous season. During four seasons, he was used sparingly, but added two league trophies and the 2002 UEFA Champions League to his résumé. He also played 2003–04 on loan, to Ligue 1 side FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

From 2005–08, Celades represented Real Zaragoza. In his first year, he helped the club reach the Copa del Rey final, and would be relatively used during three seasons, as the Aragon side was relegated at the end of 2007–08, and Celades was released. He then went on trial with Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls, in February 2009 and, after impressing, signed with the club in March.

Celades retired from competitive football on 24 October 2009, immediately following the conclusion of the 2009 Major League Soccer season. However, in early 2010, Kitchee SC from Hong Kong signed the player, alongside compatriot Agustín Aranzábal; they both appeared with the club at the 2010 Lunar New Year Cup, a mid-season exhibition tournament.

International career

Celades played four times for the Spanish national team, and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, with two substitute appearances against Nigeria and Paraguay, in an eventual group stage exit.

His last match consisted of 30 minutes in an away win over Bosnia and Herzegovina (2–1), for the 2002 World Cup qualifiers.

Honours

Club

Barcelona

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
• UEFA Super Cup: 1997
• Spanish League: 1997–98, 1998–99
• Spanish Cup: 1996–97, 1997–98
• Spanish Supercup: 1996

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
• Intercontinental Cup: 2002
• UEFA Super Cup: 2002
• Spanish League: 2000–01, 2002–03
• Spanish Supercup: 2001, 2003

Zaragoza

• Spanish Cup: Runner-up 2005–06

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• L'Équipe stats (French)
• Albert Celades at National-Football-Teams.com
• Albert Celades – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile