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Albert Luque

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Albert Luque
Personal information
Full name Albert Luque Martos
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker, left winger
Team information
Current team
 Free agent
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00:00, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

Albert Luque Martos, Luque (born March 11, 1978 in Terrassa, Catalonia), is a Spanish footballer, currenly unattached. He can play as either left winger or striker.

Club career

Spain

A lifelong supporter of F.C. Barcelona, Luque started out in football on trial with them, but was released by the B team at the age of 19.

He was taken on by Real Mallorca and sent to the B side in 1998, but eventually broke into the first team after a successful loan spell at Málaga CF. Later, he scored 9 goals for Mallorca in 2000-01, helping them qualify for the UEFA Champions League pre-round for the first time in their history by finishing third. Luque’s extra time goal in the qualifying round against Hajduk Split carried Mallorca into the first group stage.

He was transferred from to Deportivo de La Coruña in 2002, in a deal worth €15 million (approximately £10 million), for strikers José "Turu" Flores and Walter Pandiani (on loan). In his first season at Depor, Luque scored the winning goal against former club Málaga with a bicycle kick, adding another season winners against Athletic Bilbao, Racing de Santander and RCD Espanyol. He scored a total of 12 goals in that season, mostly from substitute appearances.

The 2003-2004 season saw Luque's firm establishment as a Deportivo starter, as he scored the winner against Rosenborg B.K. in the Champions League qualifying round. He also scored important goals in the competition against PSV Eindhoven, Juventus and AC Milan. Luque would net 11 league goals in his final season in Galicia.

Newcastle United

In August 2005, Luque was sold to Newcastle United for a fee of €14 million (£9.5 Million), signing a 5-year contract. He made his debut against Manchester United at St. James Park, which included having a goal ruled out for offside. However, in his next game, he suffered a hamstring injury while playing against Fulham F.C.. Upon return from injury, he was used in a number of roles, including left midfielder, failing to live up to his large price tag.

On 17 April 2006, Luque scored his first goal for Newcastle in the Tyne-Wear derby, when he broke free from the Sunderland defence and calmly chipped goalkeeper Kelvin Davis. He commented after the game that he hoped to score before the end of the season, and thanked the team's physio for bringing him back to full fitness after injury. However, Luque played no part in Newcastle's remaining fixtures.

On 11 May, although not in a competitive game, Luque scored a volley in Alan Shearer's sold-out testimonial match against Celtic F.C., which Newcastle won 3-2. This was followed with his first competitive home goal against Lillestrom S.K. at the start of Newcastle's Intertoto Cup tournament.

On 3 October, Luque scored two goals against Liverpool's reserves in a 4-1. After having fallen low in the side's offensive pecking order, a number of injuries awarded him a start against then Serie A table-toppers U.S. Palermo on 2 November in the UEFA Cup, and rewarded then-manager Glenn Roeder's choice scoring the game's only goal with a header. Since then, however, Luque had few significant first-team appearances, by now behind the likes of Matty Pattison, a reserve/first team fringe player. In the January 2007 transfer window, Luque was even linked with a loan move to PSV Eindhoven, but the deal fell through, reportedly due to high wage demands.[1]

On 23 June 2007, new Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce revealed that he would be willing to give Luque a proper chance to impress. However, this did not prevent him from awarding Luque's number 7 shirt to new signing Joey Barton, which initially left the Spaniard without a squad number.[2] [3] He was eventually given the number 19 jersey, previously worn at Deportivo, and used in Newcastle by defender Titus Bramble.

His transfer from Deportivo to Newcastle is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns:

“There remains inconsistencies in evidence provided by Graeme Souness - a former manager of the club - and Kenneth Shepherd - apparently acting in an undefined role but not as a club official - as to their respective roles in transfer negotiations.”

“The inquiry still has unanswered questions relating to possible payments made by agent Francis Martin, who Newcastle officials believed was working for the selling club.”[4].

On July 26, 2007, Luque was on the scoresheet twice for Newcastle in a 4-1 win over Celtic in a pre-season friendly. In the next preseason friendly against Juventus he scored again, from the penalty spot, only to pick up a knock a few minutes later. The next month, Ajax Amsterdam agreed a fee to sign Luque.[5]

Ajax

On August 25, 2007, AFC Ajax Amsterdam confirmed that they had signed Luque until 2010.[6] On September 25, Luque scored his first two goals for Ajax, turning the scoresheet in 2 minutes against VVV Venlo, coming out injured slightly afterwards.

He was fined after a game against Feyenoord in November 2007 for a half time altercation in the changing rooms with team mate Luis Suarez, which caused manager Adrie Koster to substitute them both off at half time.[7]

It was reported on 14 July 2008 that Luque had no future at Ajax. Technical director Danny Blind told Sportweek: "Ajax has told Luque that he has to leave the club. I told Albert myself that we don't want to go on with him and if I've told it to him I really don't know who else I should inform."

International career

Luque played for Spain in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning a silver medal.

After a successful individual Mallorca season, he was called, still uncapped, to Spain's squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Luque made his international debut on 12 June 2002 against South Africa in a 3-2 win, and also appeared in the round-of-16 success against Republic of Ireland.

He made a brief appearance, out of position on the right-wing, in Euro 2004, in the 0-1 defeat to hosts Portugal.

Honours

References

  1. ^ PSV pull out of Luque loan deal
  2. ^ Luque to get Toon lifeline
  3. ^ Sky Sports - Home
  4. ^ "What Stevens said about each club". www.telegraph.co.uk. 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2007-06-17.
  5. ^ "Ajax and Newcastle agree Luque fee". BBC Sport. 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Ajax sign Albert Luque Martos". Official Ajax Amsterdam. 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-08-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Ajax fine Suarez and Luque". Official Ajax Amsterdam. 2007-11-12. Retrieved 2007-11-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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