David Barral

David Barral
Personal information
Full name David Barral Torres
Date of birth (1983-05-10) 10 May 1983
Place of birth San Fernando, Spain
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Granada
Number 7
Youth career
San Servando
1999–2002 San Fernando
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2003 Real Madrid C
2003–2006 Real Madrid B 53 (9)
2003–2004 → Fuenlabrada (loan) 34 (17)
2006–2012 Sporting Gijón 201 (48)
2012–2013 Orduspor 27 (4)
2013–2015 Levante 67 (18)
2015 Al Dhafra 10 (3)
2016– Granada 22 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 November 2016.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Barral and the second or maternal family name is Torres.

David Barral Torres (born 10 May 1983) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Granada CF as a striker.

Football career

Born in San Fernando, Cádiz, Andalusia, Barral started playing professionally in the lower divisions, with Real Madrid's B and C-teams, with a loan stint at neighbouring CF Fuenlabrada in between.[1] In the 2006–07 season he moved to Sporting de Gijón where, during his second year, he formed a formidable offensive partnership with Mate Bilić (arrived in January 2008) to help the Asturias side return to La Liga after a 10-year absence.[2]

Barral scored his first top flight goal on 26 October 2008, from a penalty in a 3–0 away win against Deportivo de La Coruña. During the season he again paired up with Bilić for 22 league goals combined, and netted a crucial in the campaign's closer – a 2–1 home win against Recreativo de Huelva – as Sporting eventually avoided relegation.[3]

On 20 March 2010, Barral scored at former club Real Madrid: he beat the offside trap and cut inside from the right hand, before firing past Iker Casillas for the game's first, but the hosts turned the score around for a final 3–1 win.[4]

In 2010–11 Barral continued to battle with Bilić for first-choice status,[1] with Sporting also having acquired Gastón Sangoy – coach Manuel Preciado often fielded only one striker. On 15 January 2011, in the 19th round, he opened his account, at home against Hércules CF (2–0);[5] in the following league match, also at El Molinón, he also found the net, for the game's only goal against Atlético Madrid;[6] the following month (12 February), he helped his team to a 1–1 home draw against FC Barcelona, after a fine individual effort early in the first half.[7]

In the 2011–12 season, Barral scored nine goals in 30 contests (squad best), but it was not enough to prevent Sporting from being relegated after five years. On 5 July 2012, aged 29, he moved abroad for the first time, signing with Orduspor in the Süper Lig.[8]

Barral returned to his homeland in the 2013 summer, penning a two-year deal with Levante UD.[9] On 7 February 2015 he became the first national player to score a hat-trick in a year after Athletic Bilbao's Aritz Aduriz, in a 4–1 home win over Málaga CF.[10][11]

On 5 July 2015, Barral signed for Al Dhafra SCC in the United Arab Emirates after his contract with Levante expired.[12] On 24 January of the following year, he returned to Spain and its top level after agreeing to an 18-month deal at Granada CF.[13]

After being involved in a scuffle with teammate Isaac Cuenca during a meal at the club's sports city, in late November 2016, Barral was suspended indefinitely.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Olfato de gol (Scoring touch); El Comercio, 20 August 2006 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ El Sporting regresa a la élite (Sporting returns to the elite); Mundo Deportivo, 16 June 2008 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Sporting Gijon 2–1 Recreativo Huelva; ESPN Soccernet, 31 May 2009
  4. ↑ Real Madrid rally to move clear of Barcelona in Spanish league; CNN, 21 March 2010
  5. ↑ Sporting climb out of danger; ESPN Soccernet, 15 January 2011
  6. ↑ Barral the hero; ESPN Soccernet, 23 January 2011
  7. ↑ Gijon hold Barca; ESPN Soccernet, 12 February 2011
  8. ↑ Orduspor muradına erdi! (Orduspor get it done!); Ajansspor, 5 July 2012 (Turkish)
  9. ↑ El Levante ficha a Barral (Levante sign Barral); Las Provincias, 26 June 2013 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Barral devuelve la alegría al Levante (Barral makes Levante smile again); Marca, 7 February 2015 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ Especie en extinción (Endangered species); Marca, 9 February 2015 (Spanish)
  12. ↑ David Barral firma por el Al-Dhafra (David Barral signs for Al-Dhafra); Marca, 5 July 2015 (Spanish)
  13. ↑ ¡David Barral es rojiblanco! (David Barral is red-and-white!); Granada CF, 24 January 2016 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ Pelea entre Barral y Cuenca... durante la comida (Fight between Barral and Cuenca... during meal time); Marca, 23 November 2016 (Spanish)
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.