Miquel Soler

Miquel Soler

Personal information
Full name	Miquel Soler Sarasols
Date of birth	March 13, 1965 (1965-03-13)
Place of birth	Girona, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Mallorca B (coach)
Youth career
1979–1983	UE Olot
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1983–1988	Espanyol	118	(4)
1986	→ L'Hospitalet (loan)
1988–1991	Barcelona	76	(2)
1991–1992	Atlético Madrid	25	(1)
1992–1993	Barcelona	5	(0)
1993–1995	Sevilla	75	(1)
1995–1996	Real Madrid	14	(1)
1996–1998	Zaragoza	39	(2)
1998–2003	Mallorca	152	(1)
National team
1983	Spain U18	1	(0)
1986–1987	Spain U21	3	(0)
1987	Spain U23	2	(0)
1987–1991	Spain	9	(0)
1993–1998	Catalonia	3	(0)
Teams managed
2011–	Mallorca B
* 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 Soler and the second or maternal family name is Sarasols.

Miquel Soler Sarasols (born 13 March 1965 in Girona, Catalonia) is a retired Spanish footballer.

Mainly a left defender who could also operate in midfield, his career spanned two La Liga decades (with nearly 700 official matches), and he was the only player to represent both Barcelona and Madrid main teams.

Soler represented Spain at Euro 1988.

Club career

A RCD Espanyol youth graduate, Soler made his first team - and La Liga - debuts in 1983–84, going on to become an essential element after a loan to neighbouring CE L'Hospitalet. In his fourth season, as the club finished third after a second stage for the top six teams, he appeared in 41 out of 42 matches, with two goals. He helped Espanyol reach the final of the 1988 UEFA Cup, scoring a goal in the first leg, a 3–0 home win, as the Catalans eventually lost on penalties against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Subsequently, Soler joined neighbours FC Barcelona, helping the side to the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in his first season, while also appearing in 23 matches in the league. After a sole season with Atlético Madrid, where he won his second Spanish Cup, he returned to Barcelona, with no impact.

After two excellent seasons with Sevilla FC, Soler moved to Real Madrid, but appeared scarcely during 1995–96, his sole campaign with the merengues. After two years with Real Zaragoza, he was still able, at 33, to sign with RCD Mallorca, where he amassed a further 152 top flight games, winning another domestic cup and retiring at the end of the 2002–03 season, aged 38; he played in a total of 504 first division matches, scoring 12 goals.

International career

Soler won nine caps for the Spanish national football team, and represented the nation at UEFA Euro 1988, where he appeared in the win against Denmark (playing the second half) and the loss against Italy.

His debut came in an Euro 1988 qualifier in Bucharest, a 1–3 loss against Romania.

Honours

• Barcelona:
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1988–89; Runner-up 1990–91
  • UEFA Super Cup: 1992
  • Spanish League: 1990–91, 1992–93
  • Spanish Cup: 1989–90
  • Spanish Supercup: 1992

• Atlético Madrid:
  • Spanish Cup: 1991–92

• Mallorca:
  • Spanish Cup: 2002–03
  • Spanish Supercup: 1998
  • UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: Runner-up 1998–99

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)