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Roberto Solozábal

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Roberto Solozábal
Solozábal in 2017
Personal information
Full name Roberto Solozábal Villanueva
Date of birth (1969-09-15) 15 September 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Youth career
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1989 Atlético Madrileño 28 (1)
1989–1997 Atlético Madrid 231 (3)
1997–2000 Betis 42 (0)
Total 301 (4)
International career
1987–1988 Spain U18 8 (0)
1988–1989 Spain U19 2 (0)
1989–1990 Spain U20 5 (0)
1989–1991 Spain U21 4 (0)
1991–1992 Spain U23 12 (1)
1991–1993 Spain 12 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Olympic medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's Football
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Team Competition

Roberto Solozábal Villanueva (born 15 September 1969) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central defender.

He appeared in 273 La Liga games over 11 seasons, representing in the competition Atlético Madrid and Betis.

Club career

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Atlético Madrid

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A product of local Atlético Madrid's youth system, Madrid-born Solozábal represented the first team from 1989 to 1997, his debut being on 2 September in a 3–1 away win against Valencia CF (90 minutes played). Other than his first season – ten appearances – he never played less than 18 La Liga games during his eight-year spell.

During the 1995–96 campaign, Solózabal formed a solid centre-back partnership with another Colchonero youth graduate, Juan Manuel López, as the capital side achieved an historic double, with the former featuring in 40 league matches.

Betis

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After leaving Atlético, Solozábal signed with Real Betis.[1] In his last season, where the Andalusian club was relegated and he was ousted from the squad for allegedly organising a riot, he ultimately took it to court for lack of payment in a suit which lasted several years, with the player having already retired.[2][3]

International career

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Solozábal was part of the Spanish side that won the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona,[4] and also earned 12 full caps in two years, the first coming on 17 April 1991 in a 0–2 friendly loss to Romania, in Cáceres.[5]

Honours

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Atlético Madrid

Spain U23

References

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  1. ^ Solozábal ya es futbolista del Betis (Solozábal is already a Betis footballer); El País, 23 July 1997 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ El Betis despide a Solozábal un mes después del motín del equipo (Betis fire Solozábal one month after team riot); El País, 8 September 2000 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Un juez da la razón al Betis ante Solozábal (Judge rules in favour of Betis against Solozábal); El País, 22 February 2001 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ "La Roja de 1992, nuestra medalla de oro Olímpica" [1992's La Roja, our Olympic gold medal] (in Spanish). Antena 3. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  5. ^ De nuevo vencidos y sin gloria (Again beaten hopelessly); Mundo Deportivo, 18 April 1991 (in Spanish)
  6. ^ "Supervivientes de oro" [Golden survivors] (in Spanish). El País. 25 February 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
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