Roberto Solozábal

Roberto Solozábal
Personal information
Full name Roberto Solozábal Villanueva
Date of birth (1969-09-15) 15 September 1969
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Centre back
Youth career
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1989 Atlético Madrileño
1989–1997 Atlético Madrid 231 (3)
1997–2000 Betis 42 (0)
Total 273 (3)
National team
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)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Olympic medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's Football
1992 Barcelona Team Competition
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Solozábal and the second or maternal family name is Villanueva.

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

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

Club career

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 in 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.

After leaving Atlético, Solozábal represented fellow league side Real Betis.[1] In his last season, where the Andalusian club was relegated and he was ousted from the squad for allegedly organizing 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

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

Honours

Club

Atlético Madrid

Country

References

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