Christian Benítez
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt | ||
| Date of birth | May 1, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Quito, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Birmingham City | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2005 | El Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | El Nacional | 83 | (29) |
| 2007–2009 | Santos Laguna | 58 | (31) |
| 2009– | Birmingham City | 15 | (2) |
| National team | |||
| 2005– | Ecuador | 30 | (10) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11:19, 12 December 2009 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt (born May 1, 1986), also known as "Chucho", is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a forward for English Premier League club Birmingham City. He began his career with El Nacional in Ecuador and then joined Santos Laguna of Mexico, with whom he won the award for Best Player of the Clausura 2008.[2] He has been a member of the Ecuador national football team since 2006.
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[edit] Personal life
Benítez was born in Quito,[3] the son of former Ecuador international footballer Ermen Benítez.[4] In 2007 he married Liseth, daughter of fellow international player Cléber Chalá;[5] she gave birth to twins in August 2009.[6]
[edit] Club career
[edit] El Nacional
Regarded as one of the best players ever to compete in the Ecuadorian top flight,[by whom?] Benítez was scouted by top clubs such as Villarreal CF of Spain[7] due to his outstanding performances for El Nacional, though the club denied any knowledge of Villarreal's interest.[8] He was also linked with a move to Red Star Belgrade of the Serbian Superliga.[citation needed]
[edit] Santos Laguna
In July 2007, he made an unexpected move to Santos Laguna of the Primera División de México. With his arrival and that of Vicente Matías Vuoso, Santos had an impressive season with wins over several top Mexican clubs. He was considered one of the best foreign strikers in the Mexican league alongside Giancarlo Maldonado, Humberto Suazo, Salvador Cabañas, and Hector Mancilla.[citation needed] In 2007, Benítez received an award as the best Ecuadorian footballer playing outside Ecuador,[9] succeeding PSV Eindhoven's Édison Méndez.
Despite interest from Portuguese club Benfica,[10] Benítez decided to remain in Mexico. His 10 goals made a major contribution to Santos winning the Clausura 2008 title, and his personal reward was selection as best player of the season.[2] Benítez is the fourth Ecuadorian to win a Mexican championship, after Ítalo Estupiñán, Álex Aguinaga, and Agustín Delgado.[citation needed]
[edit] Birmingham City
On June 3, 2009, Birmingham City announced the signing of Benítez on a three-year contract for an undisclosed club record transfer fee, which press reports speculated to be in the region of £6 million rising to £9m.[11] The move was subject to the striker receiving a work permit and passing a medical.[4][12] The medical revealed unforeseen knee problems,[13] which prompted the deal to be renegotiated on a "protected purchase" basis. The club would pay an initial $2m (£1.2m) with an option to abort the deal on medical grounds after the first year; thereafter the fee could potentially rise, depending on appearances and success, to a club record $12.5m (£7.7m).[14][15] The player eventually signed on July 7.[14] While recovering from shoulder surgery and awaiting his visa, Benítez played in an all-star match in Ecuador without asking the club's permission.[16]
He made his Birmingham debut as a second-half substitute in Birmingham's opening match of the season, a 1–0 defeat at Manchester United, and came close to equalising, drawing a "wonderful one-handed diving save" from Ben Foster.[17] His first Premier League start came against Hull City on September 19; he played a key role in a 1–0 win and "could have had a hat-trick but for the supreme goalkeeping of Boaz Myhill".[18] Benítez scored his first goal for the Blues on November 9 away to Liverpool, with a close-range header after Scott Dann had nodded the ball on, in a game which finished 2–2.[19]
[edit] International career
Benítez was a member of the Ecuador national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Although considered by many as a surprise selection by Ecuador's Colombian-born coach Luis Fernando Suarez, he had impressed with his speed, elusiveness and skill in pre-World Cup showings against Netherlands, Japan and the Copa Libertadores 2006 experience. He was a candidate for the Gillette Best Young Player Award, a new award made at the end of the FIFA World Cup to the best young player born on or after January 1, 1985. His only appearance was in the 3–0 loss to Germany, replacing Felix Borja midway through the match.
[edit] Post World Cup
His first international goal came in August 2006 against Peru. Then in April 2007, he scored another goal against Peru in Ecuador's 2–0 win in a friendly held in the Mini Estadi in Barcelona, Spain. He also scored in a 1–1 draw with the Republic of Ireland in a friendly match played in New Jersey on May 23, 2006.[20] This added to the belief that he could excel in Europe.[21]
Benítez started all three games during the Copa America 2007, scoring against Chile. Despite his attacking flair, Ecuador were eliminated in the first stage, losing all three matches. In an international friendly against El Salvador on September 8, 2007, Benítez scored twice in an emphatic 5–1 home win in Quito.[22]
He is considered as the successor to former international star Agustin Delgado, having inheriting the national team's number 11 shirt from him. In a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Bolivia, he scored a wonderful solo effort. Two months later, he showed his ability in the air as well when he scored the only goal of the match with a header against Chile.
[edit] Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | International | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
 El Nacional |
2004 | 1 | 0 | N/A | - | - | - | - | 1 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 30 | 6 | N/A | - | - | - | - | 30 | 6 | ||
| 2006 | 38 | 16 | N/A | - | - | - | - | 38 | 16 | ||
| 2007 | 15 | 7 | N/A | - | - | - | - | 15 | 7 | ||
 Santos Laguna |
2007–08 | 40 | 17 | N/A | - | - | - | - | 40 | 17 | |
| 2008–09 | 18 | 14 | N/A | 8 | 4 | - | - | 26 | 18 | ||
[edit] Honours
[edit] Club
[edit] Individual
- 2006 Serie A MVP
- 2008 Clausura MVP
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.mediotiempo.com/jugador.php?id_jugador=7414&todos=1
- ^ a b "Santos reap golden harvest". FIFA. 2008-07-30. http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=835965.html. Retrieved 2008-09-25.
- ^ "Ficha del jugador [Player details]" (in Spanish). Ecuadorian Football Federation. http://www.ecuafutbol.org/Servicios/FichaJugadores.aspx?valor1=1715547665. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ a b "Birmingham sign striker Benitez". BBC Sport. 2009-06-03. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/8081077.stm. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ "El mejor gol navideño [The best goal for Christmas]" (in Spanish). Diario Extra. 2007-12-24. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20080524061540/http://www.diario-extra.com/html/noticias.asp?codigo=20071224162232.
- ^ "Mellizos, mejores 'goles' de Chucho [Twins, Chucho's best 'goals']" (in Spanish). Hoy. 2009-09-06. http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/mellizos-mejores-goles-de-chucho-366572.html. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ Townsend, Walter (2007-06-26). "Ecuador Team Guide". AboutABall. http://www.aboutaball.co.uk/footballnews/View.php?ArticleID=172. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ "El Nacional no conoce interès del Villareal" (in Spanish). CRE Satelital Ecuador. 2007-01-16. http://www.cre.com.ec/Desktop.aspx?Id=283&e=91238. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ Sánchez Pineda, Joselo (2007-12-13). "Cristian Benítez premiado por AER como mejor Ecuatoriano en el exterior". Ecuador Football Federation. http://www.ecuafutbol.org/UI/detalle.aspx?seccion=1&categserie=7&nivel=0&subnivel=0&id=10893&tabla=N. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ "Alexis Sánchez y Christian Benítez interesan al Benfica" (in Spanish). Goal.com. 2007-11-25. Archived from the original on 2007-11-26. http://web.archive.org/web/20071126043429/http://www.goal.com/es/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=492061.
- ^ Walker, Andy (2009-06-04). "Birmingham City pay record £9m for Ecuador striker Christian Benitez". Birmingham Post. http://www.birminghampost.net/midlands-birmingham-sport/west-midlands-sports/birmingham-city-fc/2009/06/04/birmingham-city-pay-record-9m-for-ecuador-striker-christian-benitez-65233-23788306/. Retrieved 2009-06-14.
- ^ "Blues make record signing". Birmingham City F.C. 2009-06-03. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1685586,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ Tattum, Colin (2009-07-06). "Medical concerns delay Benitez's £9m move to Blues". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2009/07/06/medical-concerns-delay-benitez-s-9m-move-to-blues-97319-24084241/. Retrieved 2009-07-07.
- ^ a b "Blues bag Benitez". Birmingham City F.C. 2009-07-07. http://www.bcfc.com/page/News/NewsDetail/0,,10412~1715657,00.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ Tattum, Colin (2009-07-08). "Birmingham City insist on 'get out' clause in new deal for Christian Benitez". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2009/07/08/birmingham-city-insist-on-get-out-clause-in-new-deal-for-christian-benitez-97319-24102744/. Retrieved 2009-08-19. "Blues will pay just $2 million, about £1.2 million, for the next 12 months and at the end of that period have a 'get out' option to cover themselves should Benitez's knee have caused him grief in that time. Thereafter, they will shell out money over a period of years, incorporating chunks for appearances and success, that could take the eventual price to $12.5 million, or £7.75 million."
- ^ Tattum, Colin (2009-07-20). "Injury-hit Christian Benitez plays all-star game in Ecuador". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2009/07/29/injury-hit-christian-benitez-plays-all-star-game-in-ecuador-97319-24266103/. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ Sonaji, Pranav (2009-08-16). "Man Utd 1–0 Birmingham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8197957.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ Cross, Jeremy (2009-09-21). "Alex McLeish is full of hope for Christian Benítez at Birmingham". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6841683.ece. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ Kay, Oliver (2009-11-10). "Steven Gerrard's penalty rescues point for Liverpool". The Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article6910071.ece. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^ "Ecuador 1-1 Ireland". ESPNsoccernet. 2007-05-23. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=433135&cc=5901. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
- ^ "Christian Benitez, el hijo de la Pantera y el punta del futuro" (in Spanish). Diario AS. 2007-06-01. http://www.as.com/articulo/futbol/Christian/Benitez/hijo/Pantera/punta/futuro/dasftb/20070601dasdaiftb_55/Tes/. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Ecuador 5-1 El Salvador". ESPNsoccernet. 2007-09-08. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=461509&cc=5901. Retrieved 2007-09-11.
[edit] External links
- Christian Benítez stats at MedioTiempo.com (Spanish)
- Player details at Ecuadorian Football Federation (Spanish)
- Christian Benítez career stats at Soccerbase
- ESPN Profile
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